The low-altitude economy is a comprehensive economic model driven by low-altitude flight activities that radiates and drives the integrated development of industries; it serves as a vital pillar for developing new-quality productive forces. This plan is formulated to implement the central government’s decisions and arrangements regarding accelerating the cultivation and development of the low-altitude economy and to promote the high-quality development of the low-altitude economy in our region.
I. Development Goals
Fully leveraging our region’s advantages in airspace and geographical location, and driven by innovation, R&D, and scenario applications, we will coordinate efforts to continuously advance the development of low-altitude equipment manufacturing, scenario applications, flight service support systems, and technological innovation capabilities. We will foster the development of new technologies, models, and business formats in the low-altitude sector and accelerate the creation of a high-impact hub for the low-altitude economy.
By the end of 2024, we will launch R&D and pilot projects for key technologies in low-altitude application scenarios, accelerate the planning and layout of low-altitude flight infrastructure, introduce advanced low-altitude equipment manufacturing technologies, facilitate the implementation of the first batch of key projects, and preliminarily establish an industrial ecosystem for the development of the low-altitude economy.
By the end of 2025, pilot initiatives will be launched in cities with favorable airspace conditions and solid foundations, establishing a number of benchmark demonstration application scenarios. We will improve low-altitude flight infrastructure and service systems, deepen R&D and cooperation on low-altitude equipment technology, and see the initial formation of a low-altitude equipment industrial chain, with the scale of the low-altitude economy significantly expanded.
By the end of 2026, low-altitude flight infrastructure will be continuously improved, application scenarios will be operating at scale, the low-altitude equipment industrial chain will be largely established, and the scale of the low-altitude economy will continue to grow. Our region will become a supplier of low-altitude scenario service solutions and a research, development, and manufacturing base for low-altitude equipment serving the ASEAN region.
II. Key Tasks
(1) Actively Seek Guidance and Support at the National Level
1. Seek to establish a low-altitude economy demonstration site. Leveraging advantages in airspace and meteorology, actively seek to have our region included as a national pilot province for low-altitude airspace reform, thereby granting our region greater authority over the approval and management of low-altitude airspace. (Lead Units: Autonomous Region Development and Reform Commission, Department of Transportation; Cooperating Units: Autonomous Region Party Committee Office of Military-Civil Fusion, Civil Aviation Administration of China Guangxi Regional Administration)
2. Enhance airworthiness certification service capabilities. Seek support from national industry authorities to establish a civil aircraft airworthiness certification center or branch center in our region, and promote the conduct of airworthiness certification, validation test flights, and related operations. (Lead Agency: Department of Transportation of the Autonomous Region; Cooperating Agencies: Development and Reform Commission of the Autonomous Region, Market Regulation Bureau, Civil Aviation Administration of China Guangxi Regional Administration)
3. Actively promote the implementation of major projects. Seek to include our region’s low-altitude economy-related industries in the national industrial support catalog; seek national-level guidance to encourage leading drone enterprises to establish operations in Guangxi; and seek to include our region’s planned key projects within the scope of national major projects, while strengthening support for factors such as funding, land use, and forest land use. (Lead Agencies: Autonomous Region Development and Reform Commission, Department of Industry and Information Technology; Cooperating Agency: Autonomous Region Industrial Park Office)
(II) Promoting the Clustered Development of the Low-Altitude Equipment Manufacturing Industry
4. Attract and establish major industrial projects. Compile a list of enterprises and infrastructure along the low-altitude economy industrial chain, map out the industrial chain landscape, and fully leverage the investment promotion capabilities of leading enterprises, industry associations and chambers of commerce, as well as exhibition and conference events. Focus on attracting a group of domestically influential large and medium-sized UAV manufacturers, key system R&D enterprises, commercial application companies, and new R&D institutions. Advance the “supply chain supplementation and strengthening” initiative to promote industrial clustering.Support cities such as Nanning, Liuzhou, Guilin, Beihai, and Yulin in establishing the region’s UAV manufacturing demonstration bases. (Lead Agency: Autonomous Region Industrial Park Office; Cooperating Agencies: Autonomous Region Development and Reform Commission, Department of Industry and Information Technology, Department of Finance, Department of Transportation, Department of Commerce, and relevant municipal people’s governments)
5. Support enterprises in expanding and strengthening their operations. Focus on the development and large-scale assembly of products such as large and medium-sized UAVs, light fixed-wing aircraft, and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Concentrate efforts on cultivating large and medium-sized UAV manufacturers, and foster a group of specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative enterprises (SEDEs) and manufacturing single-champions that deeply specialize in niche sectors, have prominent core businesses, strong competitiveness, and good growth potential. Cultivate more than 200 enterprises within the low-altitude economy industrial chain,with the goal of ensuring that at least 100 of these are private enterprises, and striving to achieve a low-altitude economy scale of over 50 billion yuan. Support eligible cities in establishing integrated manufacturing bases for low-altitude equipment, forming a comprehensive industrial ecosystem that integrates R&D, design, production, test flights, inspection and testing, and training. (Lead Agency: Department of Industry and Information Technology of the Autonomous Region; Cooperating Agencies: Development and Reform Commission of the Autonomous Region, Department of Transportation, Park Management Office, and relevant municipal people’s governments)
6. Strengthen coordination within industrial and supply chains. Support eligible cities in accelerating the formation of a comprehensive, resilient, and competitive low-altitude economy industrial chain in areas such as power systems, aerospace materials, components, aviation batteries, flight control systems, and equipment maintenance and repair. Support the cross-sectoral integration and development between new energy vehicle enterprises and the low-altitude economy industry. Support Wuzhou, Hezhou, and Yulin in leveraging local regional airports to establish a comprehensive training system for manned aircraft operations personnel and a maintenance industry.Support Nanning and Hezhou in building public service platforms for aircraft airworthiness. Support Liuzhou, Yulin, and Guigang in conducting R&D and manufacturing of flight safety equipment, such as parachutes, by leveraging their apparel and textile industries. Support Hechi in establishing a research and manufacturing base for key components by capitalizing on its distinctive advantages in rare and scattered metals. (Lead Units: Municipal People’s Governments of relevant cities; Department of Industry and Information Technology of the Autonomous Region; Cooperating Units: Development and Reform Commission, Department of Transportation, Market Regulation Bureau of the Autonomous Region; Civil Aviation Administration of China, Guangxi Regional Administration)
7. Establish Low-Altitude Economy Industrial Parks. Leveraging the airport economic zones, high-tech industrial development zones, and the China-ASEAN Industrial Cooperation Zone in relevant cities, establish low-altitude economy industrial parks that encompass multiple sectors including technology R&D, manufacturing, and operational support. Strengthen industrial collaboration with regions such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Chengdu to promote the development of low-altitude “enclave economy” parks.(Lead Agency: Department of Industry and Information Technology of the Autonomous Region; Cooperating Agencies: Office of Industrial Parks of the Autonomous Region, Department of Transportation, Department of Commerce, and Guangxi Bureau of Exhibitions)
(3) Explore Low-Altitude Application Scenarios
8. Identify public service application scenarios. Encourage governments at all levels and industry departments to thoroughly explore low-altitude application scenarios within their respective fields and sectors, and develop a series of demonstration scenarios and application cases. In accordance with the principle of aligning financial and administrative responsibilities, coordinate low-altitude government application needs across all sectors, include them in the annual budgets of governments at all levels to ensure funding, and implement joint procurement. (Lead Agencies: Autonomous Region Bureau of Data, Department of Finance; Cooperating Agencies: Municipal People’s Governments, other relevant departments of the Autonomous Region)
9. Develop low-altitude emergency response system applications. Deepen the application of low-altitude aircraft in areas such as aerial reconnaissance and surveying, command and dispatch, firefighting, emergency transport, search and rescue, special cargo lifting, emergency communications, and medical rescue. Actively promote the integration of aeromedical rescue into the aviation emergency rescue system, increase government procurement of services, and establish an aviation emergency rescue system with unified standards, unified command, and unified dispatch.(Lead Agencies: Autonomous Region Department of Emergency Management, Health Commission; Cooperating Agencies: Autonomous Region Public Security Department, Department of Water Resources, Forestry Bureau, Communications Administration, Meteorological Bureau, Guangxi Fire and Rescue Corps, Civil Aviation Administration of China Guangxi Regional Administration, Guilin Regional Administration)
10. Promote applications in agricultural and forestry production. Fully leverage the region’s advantages in agriculture and forestry, and actively develop UAV applications such as agricultural plant protection, crop monitoring, aerial forest protection, and fishery monitoring. Integrate technologies such as 5G, big data, and the Internet of Things (IoT) to conduct demonstrations of high-quality UAV operations and smart agriculture and forestry, and implement subsidies for procurement and application. (Lead Agencies: Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Forestry Bureau; Cooperating Agencies: Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Agricultural Machinery Center)
11. Stimulate low-altitude consumer application scenarios. Leveraging our region’s abundant tourism resources, we will organize low-altitude activities such as aerial sightseeing, aerial photography, low-altitude flight competitions, and aviation festivals to create a list of “small yet exquisite” niche consumer scenarios that attract widespread attention.Encourage the integrated development of tourism and aviation sports industries; establish aviation-related associations and flying clubs; and support the construction of flight camps, aerospace (drone) science education bases, and aviation sports communities. Explore the establishment of standardized low-altitude tourism pilot zones. (Lead Agency: Department of Culture and Tourism of the Autonomous Region; Cooperating Agencies: Department of Education, Department of Civil Affairs, Sports Bureau, Market Regulation Bureau of the Autonomous Region; Civil Aviation Administration of China Guangxi Regional Administration, Guilin Regional Administration; and relevant municipal people’s governments)
12. Explore urban air mobility application scenarios. Support eligible cities in conducting flight application demonstrations with a focus on eVTOLs, encourage the exploration of establishing urban low-altitude flight routes, and focus on cultivating new business models for passenger air transportation, such as business travel and aerial shuttle services. (Lead units: Municipal People’s Governments of relevant cities, Department of Transportation of the Autonomous Region; Cooperating units: Civil Aviation Administration of China Guangxi Regional Administration, Guilin Regional Administration)
13. Develop low-altitude logistics transportation application scenarios. Focusing on demand, explore drone logistics delivery across provinces (regions), between cities, and to islands and mountainous areas; plan and construct drone logistics nodes; and encourage the development of a new smart logistics model featuring “drones + autonomous vehicles + automated warehouses.” (Lead units: Municipal People’s Governments of relevant cities; Guangxi Postal Administration; Cooperating units: Office of Military-Civil Fusion under the Autonomous Region Party Committee; Development and Reform Commission, Department of Transportation, and Supply and Marketing Cooperative of the Autonomous Region; Guangxi Airport Management Group)
14. Establish pilot application scenarios. Strive to establish 1 urban air traffic management pilot, cultivate 2–3 low-altitude economy pilot cities, and 10 low-altitude economy application pilot counties (districts); attract and nurture a group of high-quality suppliers of low-altitude products and services; and build more than 20 typical demonstration application scenarios that are replicable and scalable. (Lead Agencies: Municipal People’s Governments concerned, Autonomous Region Development and Reform Commission; Cooperating Agencies: Autonomous Region Department of Transportation, Park Management Office)
(IV) Building a Low-Altitude Flight Service Support System
15. Strengthen coordinated management of low-altitude airspace. Enhance communication and coordination between military and civilian authorities, establish and improve a tripartite coordination mechanism involving the military, government, and civilian sectors, and jointly study and coordinate matters related to low-altitude flight management, including the classification and demarcation of low-altitude airspace, the establishment of flight routes and airways, the supervision of flight activities, and meteorological observation frequencies. Support eligible cities in conducting pilot programs, strengthen research on organizational and operational models for urban air traffic management, and refine management measures.(Lead Units: Department of Transportation of the Autonomous Region, Municipal People’s Governments of relevant cities; Cooperating Units: Office of Military-Civil Fusion under the Party Committee of the Autonomous Region, Development and Reform Commission, Public Security Department, National Defense Mobilization Office, Meteorological Bureau of the Autonomous Region; Guangxi Branch of Civil Aviation Air Traffic Control, Guilin Air Traffic Control Station; Guangxi Airport Management Group)
16. Build a Low-Altitude Intelligent Internet. Fully leverage the infrastructure of telecommunications operators to deploy a low-altitude intelligent internet and a geographic information foundation system. Improve facilities for urban low-altitude flight surveillance, meteorological support, and electromagnetic environment monitoring. Support the integrated application of new technologies such as Broadcast Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B), BeiDou data links, satellite internet, 5G and its enhanced version (5G-A) for communication and perception, and remote identification of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).Build and improve a multi-tiered computing power supply system to meet the heterogeneous, high-density, high-frequency, and highly complex sensing demands of large-scale low-altitude flights. Encourage telecommunications operators and relevant enterprises to invest in, construct, and operate low-altitude communication facility networks, and explore relevant service revenue models. (Lead Units: Autonomous Region Communications Administration, Department of Transportation; Cooperating Units: Autonomous Region Data Bureau, National Defense Mobilization Office, Meteorological Bureau, Civil Aviation Administration of China Guangxi Regional Administration, Guilin Regional Administration, Guangxi Airport Management Group)
17. Establish a network of ground takeoff and landing facilities. Support Hechi Airport, Wuzhou Airport, and Yulin Airport in enhancing their general aviation capabilities, and add five new general aviation airports. Encourage enterprises to invest in, construct, and operate general aviation airports, takeoff and landing sites, or facilities. Support cities such as Nanning, Liuzhou, Hezhou, and Hechi, as well as areas along the Pinglu Canal, in prioritizing the construction of low-altitude smart infrastructure to test and validate low-altitude products and services.Encourage the construction of more than 300 landing sites or facilities in areas such as highway service areas, road maintenance stations, bus terminals, public service facilities and commercial buildings, communication towers, equipment rooms, and base stations, and improve related supporting functions. (Lead Agencies: Autonomous Region Development and Reform Commission, Department of Transportation; Municipal People’s Governments; Cooperating Agencies: Autonomous Region Department of Natural Resources, Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, Communications Administration, Guangxi Airport Management Group)
18. Improve the low-altitude regulatory service platform. Establish a regional-level comprehensive low-altitude flight regulatory service platform and improve the grid-based drone monitoring and control system to enable functions such as flight plan application and approval, aeronautical information services, meteorological support services, and management of aircraft and personnel information. Support cities in building comprehensive low-altitude flight management service platforms and ensure data and service integration with the regional-level platform.(Lead Agency: Department of Transportation of the Autonomous Region; Cooperating Agencies: Department of Public Security of the Autonomous Region, Office of National Defense Mobilization, Meteorological Bureau, Guangxi Branch of Civil Aviation Air Traffic Control, Guilin Air Traffic Control Station, Guangxi Airport Management Group, and municipal people’s governments)
(5) Enhancing Industrial Technological Innovation Capabilities
19. Accelerate breakthroughs in key core technologies. Implement major scientific and technological research initiatives, organize and carry out “Spearhead” R&D projects, and increase support for the research and development of key core technologies for the low-altitude economy.Encourage enterprises, universities, and research institutions to strengthen R&D of key technologies in areas such as aircraft design, systems, software, components, and materials. Aiming toward unmanned and intelligent systems, focus on fields including precise positioning, obstacle detection and avoidance, autonomous flight, intelligent swarm operations, intelligent UAV control and management, flight safety assessment technologies for severe weather, and integrated air-ground-water pan-low-altitude intelligent internet of things. Establish a low-altitude intelligent connectivity technology R&D center in our region to tackle key core technologies.Prioritize breakthroughs in technologies such as diesel-powered and hybrid-powered UAVs. (Lead Agency: Autonomous Region Department of Science and Technology; Cooperating Agencies: Autonomous Region Development and Reform Commission, Department of Education, Department of Industry and Information Technology, Department of Transportation, Meteorological Bureau, and municipal people’s governments)
20. Build Science and Technology Innovation Support Platforms. Support universities, enterprises, and research institutes both within and outside the region in jointly establishing innovation platforms such as key laboratories, technology innovation centers, engineering research centers, technology application centers, and low-altitude economy research centers. Establish an integrated mechanism linking industry, academia, research, and application to promote the transfer and commercialization of scientific and technological achievements.Encourage the cultivation of a group of low-altitude economy innovation consortia and incubators in cities such as Nanning and Guilin. (Lead Agency: Department of Science and Technology of the Autonomous Region; Cooperating Agencies: Development and Reform Commission, Department of Education, Department of Transportation of the Autonomous Region; Guangxi Academy of Sciences; Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences)
21. Strengthen the talent base for the low-altitude industry. Support eligible universities within the region to enhance the development of low-altitude equipment manufacturing and related disciplines and majors, establish a number of specialized low-altitude colleges, and carry out integrated, multi-level talent cultivation for the low-altitude industry spanning vocational, secondary, and undergraduate levels. Focusing on cutting-edge, emerging interdisciplinary fields in the low-altitude sector, deepen the integration of industry and education, promote joint talent cultivation among universities, research institutions, and enterprises, intensify efforts to attract high-end leading talent, and conduct comprehensive talent development across the entire aviation system.(Lead Agencies: Department of Education, Department of Human Resources and Social Security; Cooperating Agencies: Department of Transportation, Department of Science and Technology; Municipal People’s Governments of relevant cities)
(6) Promoting the Development of Modern Service Industries in the Low-Altitude Economy
22. Establish a China-ASEAN Low-Altitude Economy Promotion Hub. Fully leverage Guangxi’s geographical advantage of land and sea connectivity with ASEAN. Utilize platforms such as the China-ASEAN Expo to conduct low-altitude economy exchange activities and promote new products and applications. Actively carry out low-altitude economy training and exchange programs targeting ASEAN. (Lead Agencies: Guangxi Bureau of Exhibitions and Conventions, Department of Transportation of the Autonomous Region; Cooperating Agencies: Department of Education, Department of Industry and Information Technology, Department of Commerce, and Office of Foreign Affairs of the Autonomous Region)
23. Actively Expand into the ASEAN Market. Support industry associations and chambers of commerce in organizing upstream and downstream low-altitude economy enterprises to jointly explore the ASEAN market, and actively support the export of low-altitude products not subject to national export control policies. Support the establishment of low-altitude economy research institutions in Nanning and Guilin that focus on ASEAN, striving to position our region as the primary supplier of low-altitude application service solutions for ASEAN countries.(Lead Agency: Department of Commerce of the Autonomous Region; Cooperating Agencies: Department of Industry and Information Technology of the Autonomous Region, Guangxi Bureau of Exhibitions, Nanning Customs, and municipal people’s governments)
24. Improve the industrial service standards system. Encourage industry associations, academic institutions, and leading enterprises to lead upstream and downstream enterprises in the low-altitude economy to jointly conduct standards research, and accelerate the establishment of a standards system covering various application scenarios, equipment types, and safety and emergency management. Strive to secure patents in key core technology fields such as low-altitude intelligent manufacturing, communications, and navigation. (Lead Agency: Autonomous Region Market Regulation Bureau; Cooperating Agencies: Autonomous Region Department of Education, Department of Industry and Information Technology, Department of Transportation)
25. Establish a comprehensive financial service system. Leverage the catalytic role of the Guangxi Emerging Industries Guidance Fund to encourage qualified investors and eligible municipal platform companies to initiate and establish industrial investment funds and science and technology innovation investment funds through market-oriented approaches, thereby supporting the development of the low-altitude economy. Focus on fostering an environment where the government leads investments and institutions follow suit, guiding long-term and patient capital to make equity investments in startups, small and micro enterprises, and science and technology innovation enterprises, while supporting key enterprises in conducting equity and debt financing.Promote the establishment of low-altitude equipment custody and leasing companies with diversified equity structures. Encourage insurance companies to provide innovative products and services for the entire low-altitude equipment industry chain—covering research, production, sales, and application—and establish a comprehensive drone insurance service system. (Lead Agency: Financial Affairs Office of the Autonomous Region Party Committee; Cooperating Agencies: Department of Finance, State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, Guangxi Financial Regulatory Bureau, Guangxi Securities Regulatory Bureau)
III. Support Measures
All departments and units at all levels across the region must collaborate closely, strengthen top-level design and overall coordination, and efficiently advance key areas such as policy formulation, infrastructure construction, and airspace management. Increase the coordination and allocation of regional fiscal funds, guide active participation by social capital, strengthen safety and regulatory systems, and promote the establishment of a statistical monitoring system for the low-altitude economy. Establish a Low-Altitude Economy Expert Committee to provide scientific guidance for the development of the low-altitude industry. Municipal and county people’s governments must further strengthen their sense of responsibility and promote the implementation of major low-altitude economy projects.(Lead Agency: Autonomous Region Development and Reform Commission; Cooperating Agencies: Office of Military-Civil Fusion under the Autonomous Region Party Committee; Department of Transportation, Department of Public Security, Department of Finance, State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, Bureau of Statistics, and Bureau of Data of the Autonomous Region; relevant units of central government agencies stationed in Guangxi; and municipal people’s governments)
