This Implementation Plan is formulated to implement the guiding principles of documents such as the *Interim Regulations on the Management of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Operations* and the *Outline for the Development of the Green Aviation Manufacturing Industry (2023–2035)*, as well as the requirements set forth at the 2023 Central Economic Work Conference regarding the “development of several strategic emerging industries, including the low-altitude economy,” and to promote the high-quality development of the low-altitude economy in our city.

I. Development Goals

Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, we will fully implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. Focusing on the development of new-quality productive forces and serving the Yangtze River Delta integration strategy, we will seize the strategic opportunities presented by intensive innovation and rapid growth in the low-altitude economy sector. Relying on independent innovation, targeting high-end manufacturing, expanding application scenarios, and amplifying industrial capacity, we aim to establish our city as a national demonstration zone for the low-altitude economy by 2026.

Significantly Enhanced Industrial Capacity: By 2026, we will fully leverage the strengths of our manufacturing sector to cultivate a group of high-tech enterprises integrating R&D, production, and operations. We will build an industrial system centered on low-altitude science, technology, and intelligent manufacturing, supported by low-altitude support industries, and characterized by low-altitude innovation services. We aim to attract 500 enterprises along the industrial chain, with an industrial scale reaching 60 billion yuan.

Basic Infrastructure in Place: By 2026, we will establish a backbone network of low-altitude ground infrastructure, construct 1–2 general aviation airports and more than 200 vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) sites, and coordinate and guide enterprises in the development of VTOL sites. We will establish a low-altitude flight test base and enhance its capabilities in testing, flight trials, inspection, verification, airworthiness certification, and evaluation.

Diverse and Rich Low-Altitude Scenarios: By 2026, a series of demonstration application scenarios will be developed in areas such as logistics and delivery, passenger flights, tourism and consumption, emergency rescue, and urban management. Three to five short-haul general aviation routes to surrounding airports and more than 100 drone routes will be launched, with breakthrough progress achieved in commercial drone flights.

Safe and Effective Regulatory Services: By 2026, establish and improve a safety regulatory service platform for various low-altitude aircraft, including drones and helicopters. Effectively integrate functions such as infrastructure usage, flight application processing, communication and meteorological monitoring, and in-flight supervision to substantially enhance regulatory capabilities for low-altitude flight services and ensure the safety of urban air traffic.

II. Key Tasks

(1) Building a Low-Altitude Industry Ecosystem.

1. Vigorously implement measures to strengthen, supplement, and extend industrial chains. Systematically compile a list of enterprises in the low-altitude economy industrial chain and accelerate the mapping of the industrial chain. Support enterprises in undertaking major national and provincial science and technology projects, implement research and development projects for key core technologies of major equipment, and encourage the widespread application of “Suzhou-made” new-generation low-altitude aircraft and components both domestically and internationally. Enhance enterprises’ international competitiveness, actively expand the scale of overseas exports, and support capable enterprises in “going global.”Strengthen engagement with key domestic and international enterprises and conduct full-industry-chain investment promotion globally. Guide leading enterprises to pursue horizontal alliances and vertical integration across the upstream and downstream segments of the low-altitude industry chain, fully leveraging the leading and driving role of top-tier enterprises. By 2026, strive to establish an industry chain with more than 15 leading enterprises. (Responsible Units: Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, and the People’s Governments (Administrative Committees) of all county-level cities and districts)

2. Establish Specialized Low-Altitude Economy Parks. Fully leverage existing aviation industrial parks, low-altitude industrial parks, or planned parks in each county-level city (district) to create low-altitude economy industrial parks featuring diverse business models—including technology R&D, manufacturing, and operational support—and differentiated development. Intensify efforts to cultivate and build low-altitude manufacturing parks, low-altitude service parks, and low-altitude operational support parks. (Responsible Units: People’s Governments [Administrative Committees] of each county-level city [district])

3. Build high-level innovation platforms. Accelerate the construction of R&D platforms in the low-altitude economy sector, such as engineering and technology research centers and advanced technology research institutes. Strengthen innovation collaboration, continue to advance the development of the Yangtze River Delta Advanced Technology Commercialization Center, promote the application of breakthroughs in defense science and technology—including advanced technologies, processes, and materials—to the low-altitude industrial equipment sector, and encourage aerospace enterprises to actively integrate into the low-altitude economy’s industrial and supply chain systems.(Responsible Units: Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Transportation Bureau, Municipal Industry and Information Technology Bureau)

4. Attract high-level innovative talent. Implement the Strategic Science and Technology Talent Leadership Program; include low-altitude economy talent in the city’s key industrial professional talent demand catalog; intensify efforts to recruit talent and attract expertise; introduce a number of major scientific and technological innovation teams; and build a high-level, multi-tiered talent梯队 system.Deepen the integration of university-local innovation and development to help local universities (and campuses)—including Soochow University, the Suzhou Campus of Nanjing University, the Suzhou Research Institute of Harbin Institute of Technology, and the Taicang Zhihui Port of Northwestern Polytechnical University—become hubs for low-altitude economy talent. (Responsible Units: Municipal Talent Office, Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, Municipal Education Bureau, Municipal Transportation Bureau, Municipal Industry and Information Technology Bureau)

(2) Improve the flight support system.

5. Strengthen the construction of low-altitude infrastructure. Establish a low-altitude ground infrastructure system, leverage the leading role of state-owned platforms such as the Transportation Investment Group, and guide the investment of social capital. Advance the construction of infrastructure such as general aviation airports, water airports, and vertical takeoff and landing sites in each county-level city (district) in phases. Collaborate with major domestic logistics enterprises to promote the construction of drone landing sites to meet functional requirements for drone takeoff, landing, alternate landing, parking, charging, transportation, and operations.Strengthen the construction of operational support facilities, including communication, surveillance, and low-altitude meteorological monitoring networks. (Responsible Units: Municipal Transportation Bureau, Transportation Investment Group, Municipal Public Security Bureau, Municipal Bureau of Natural Resources and Planning, Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment, Municipal Bureau of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, Municipal Emergency Management Bureau, Municipal National Defense Mobilization Office, Municipal Meteorological Bureau, Suzhou Telecommunications Administration Office, Telecommunications Operators)

6. Advance the development of regulatory service platforms. Accelerate the construction of low-altitude flight service stations and integrated drone regulatory service platforms, establish a digital twin system for low-altitude airspace, and create a digital foundation for low-altitude flight operations. Provide services to low-altitude users, including airspace and route applications, flight plan filings, flight communication and meteorological monitoring, and in-flight supervision. (Responsible entities: Municipal Transportation Bureau, Municipal Public Security Bureau, Municipal Emergency Management Bureau, Municipal Big Data Bureau, Transportation Investment Group, Big Data Group)

7. Promote the delineation of low-altitude flight routes and airways. Coordinate with the military and the East China Regional Administration of Civil Aviation to focus on urban low-altitude passenger and cargo transport needs, conduct research on the delineation of low-altitude flight routes and airways, map low-altitude flight charts, improve the citywide network layout of flight routes and airways, and coordinate the utilization of urban and regional low-altitude airspace resources. (Responsible Units: Municipal Transportation Bureau, Municipal Commerce Bureau, Suzhou Customs, Suzhou Military Sub-district, Port and Shipping Group)

(3) Cultivate low-altitude application scenarios.

8. Establish a smart low-altitude logistics system. Vigorously expand urban low-altitude delivery scenarios; collaborate with key logistics enterprises to conduct pilot projects for low-altitude logistics delivery and provide meteorological support services for commerce and trade; and build a multi-tiered low-altitude logistics hub system. Explore the application of medium- and large-sized cargo low-altitude aircraft in off-site cargo terminals at transport airports and in the supply of materials for river and maritime shipping.Encourage the exploration of new logistics models, such as low-altitude cargo transport, within comprehensive bonded zones where conditions permit, and actively expand new trade formats such as bonded maintenance of low-altitude aircraft. Establish aerial transport links between blood centers, medical testing centers, and key hospitals in each county-level city (district) to enable the rapid transport of blood products, testing samples, and donor organs.(Responsible Units: Municipal Bureau of Commerce, Municipal Bureau of Transportation, Port and Shipping Group, Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, Municipal Health Commission, Municipal Meteorological Bureau, and management bodies of all comprehensive bonded zones)

9. Develop new Urban Air Mobility (UAM) business models. Strengthen communication and cooperation with the military and the East China Regional Administration of Civil Aviation to coordinate the advancement of low-altitude flight services—including short-haul, official, and business flights—within the city and between cities. Establish a “corridor + network” low-altitude route layout, build an air corridor radiating from Suzhou to the northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest, and promote connecting flights between Suzhou and surrounding transport airports.Encourage the application of new aircraft types such as electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and large-to-medium-sized drones, and systematically advance high-efficiency passenger and cargo flights to effectively meet diverse passenger and cargo transportation needs. (Responsible Units: Municipal Transportation Bureau, Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Industry and Information Technology Bureau)

10. Expand applications in cultural, sports, and tourism scenarios. Encourage general aviation enterprises to leverage lake resources such as Taihu Lake, Yangcheng Lake, Jinji Lake, and Chenghu Lake, as well as key tourist attractions within the city, to explore and develop distinctive projects such as aerial sightseeing, aerial photography and videography, and aviation sports. Utilize low-altitude aircraft such as drones to integrate elements of Jiangnan culture and modern urban landscapes, creating new cultural and tourism consumption scenarios such as drone formation shows, and establishing a new “low-altitude + cultural tourism” business model.(Responsible Units: Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, and Tourism; Municipal Sports Bureau; Municipal Transportation Bureau)

11. Expand Applications in Public Service Sectors. Government departments and state-owned enterprises and institutions in fields such as emergency management, public health, public security, firefighting, and agriculture are encouraged to increase the use of drones and helicopters in public service sectors—including emergency rescue, medical assistance, urban management, urban firefighting, and agricultural and forestry production—while performing government functions and providing public services.(Responsible Units: Municipal Emergency Management Bureau, Municipal Health Commission, Municipal Public Security Bureau, Municipal Urban Management Bureau, Municipal Water Affairs Bureau, Municipal Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau, Municipal State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, Municipal Fire and Rescue Detachment)

(IV) Strive to Establish Low-Altitude Aviation Demonstration Zones.

12. Actively Seek Pilot Demonstrations. Promote the application and construction of civil unmanned aviation test zones to facilitate the upgrading and development of the drone industry. Building on the foundation of these test zones, monitor national policies and advance the application and construction of low-altitude economy demonstration zones. Conduct pilot reforms in low-altitude airspace management, explore the refined demarcation of low-altitude airspace, and streamline flight approval procedures. (Responsible Units: Municipal Transportation Bureau, Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Industry and Information Technology Bureau, Suzhou Military Sub-district)

13. Launch pilot zone development. Select 3 to 5 county-level cities (districts) with strong industrial foundations to serve as pilot zones for the low-altitude economy. Promote the organic integration of low-altitude flight operations with market consumption, cultivate new low-altitude consumption models, and establish practical, replicable, and scalable best practices and development models. Use these pilot zones to drive high-quality development of the city’s low-altitude economy.(Responsible Units: Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Industry and Information Technology Bureau, Municipal Transportation Bureau; People’s Governments (Administrative Committees) of all county-level cities (districts))

14. Strengthen policy and regulatory guidance. Conduct research and develop exemplary policies and regulations. Using the delineation of the city’s entire airspace as a baseline and relying on comprehensive geographic information data resources, research and formulate standards for the construction, services, and applications of city-wide low-altitude infrastructure, and actively apply for industry standards in the civil aviation sector. (Responsible Units: Municipal Transportation Bureau, Municipal Industry and Information Technology Bureau, Municipal Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau, Municipal Justice Bureau, Municipal Market Regulation Bureau)

III. Support Measures

(1) Strengthen Organizational Coordination.

Strengthen leadership over the city’s low-altitude economy development efforts and coordinate the promotion of industry cultivation, infrastructure construction, and the creation of application scenarios. Establish and improve mechanisms for civil-military aviation coordination and consultation on major matters to enhance the operational level and efficiency of low-altitude airspace. Compile the Suzhou Low-Altitude Economy Development Plan, strengthen city-wide coordination and grassroots innovation, and timely introduce industrial promotion policies and regulations to scientifically guide the development of the low-altitude economy and assist enterprises in exploring new business models in the low-altitude sector.(Responsible Units: Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Industry and Information Technology Bureau, Municipal Public Security Bureau, Municipal Justice Bureau, Municipal Bureau of Natural Resources and Planning, Municipal Transportation Bureau, Suzhou Military Sub-district, Guangfu Airfield)

(2) Mobilize Resources from All Sectors.

Establish a Low-Altitude Economy Expert Committee to guide enterprises, universities, research institutions, and new-style think tanks in participating in the development of the low-altitude economy industry. Form organizations such as the Low-Altitude Economy Industry Association to bring together research institutions and key enterprises, assist in the formulation of policies and regulations, promote complementary strengths among enterprises, innovate and expand application scenarios, and enhance industry competitiveness. Fully leverage the research strengths of local universities and institutions to advance the deep integration of industry, academia, and research, and plan and promote key projects such as innovation bases, key laboratories, engineering technology centers, and high-tech industries.(Responsible Units: Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Transportation Bureau, Municipal Industry and Information Technology Bureau, Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, Municipal Education Bureau, Municipal State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission)

(3) Strengthen Policy Support.

Research and formulate policies for the low-altitude economy. Fully leverage the role of the Industrial Innovation Cluster Guidance Fund and various special funds at all levels to support the clustering of enterprises in the low-altitude economy sector, the recruitment of leading enterprises, the development of key core technologies, the expansion of flight routes, infrastructure construction, the expansion of application scenarios, and the recruitment of high-end talent. (Responsible Units: Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Municipal Industry and Information Technology Bureau, Municipal Transportation Bureau, Municipal Talent Office, Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, Municipal Finance Bureau, Municipal State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, Municipal Local Financial Regulatory Bureau)

(4) Ensuring Development Safety.

Firmly establish a “safety first” mindset, enhance safety risk management capabilities, and build a multi-stakeholder regulatory framework involving the government, society, and the public. Strengthen the development of drone standards and quality supervision, ensure the agile and efficient operation of infrastructure, crack down on all types of illegal flight activities in accordance with the law, and effectively maintain the safety and order of low-altitude flights. Establish and improve emergency response mechanisms for low-altitude flights, develop contingency plans for various risks and issues that may arise during low-altitude flight operations, and effectively ensure the healthy, safe, and sustainable development of the city’s low-altitude economy.