With favorable policies, abundant capital and unique airspace, Shanghai is expected to develop into a “world capital of the electric vertical takeoff and landing sector”, industry experts said. On January 4, the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization, together with five other departments, issued measures to link the Yangtze River Delta to accelerate the construction of advanced manufacturing clusters in the low-altitude economy. The measures are effective till December 31, 2028. According to the measures, by 2028, the core industry of Shanghai’s low-altitude economy should reach a scale of approximately CNY80 billion, forming a complete industrial chain for new low-altitude aircraft, aiming to become the “world capital of eVTOL”. Shanghai should cultivate and attract 10 leading aircraft manufacturers – including eVTOLs, industrial drones and new energy general aviation aircraft – forming a mass production capacity of over 500 new aircraft, and driving the industrial chain to achieve additional investment of over CNY20 billion.
Gao Chengyuan, Consultant at the low-altitude economy branch of the China International Association for Promotion of Science and Technology, said: “Shanghai has three core advantages. One is the Yangtze River Delta super supply chain, where batteries, motors and composite materials required for eVTOL aircraft can be fully equipped within 200 kilometers, naturally minimizing logistics costs. Second is its unique one-stop airworthiness resources, which can reduce the certification cycle by more than 30%. Third, with a vast array of scenarios – including logistics, emergency response and business travel – the order volume is sufficient enough to feed the first mass production line. More importantly, the CNY80 billion target has united the government, capital and central enterprises with funds, airspace and policies all being given the green light simultaneously. This level of synchronization is not something other cities can learn in the short term.” Specifically, the measures provide support of up to CNY100 million to complete aircraft manufacturing projects with high technological innovation and outstanding contributions to industrialization, such as eVTOLs and ton-scale industrial drones.
Ma Liqi, Co-founder and CEO of drone maker McLean (Shanghai) Intelligent Technology Co, said: “The support of up to CNY100 million for complete machine enterprises is exemplary. For enterprises like us, which invest heavily in research and development (R&D) and have long cycles, this not only alleviates financial pressures, but also strengthens our strategic determination to base ourselves in Shanghai and participate in global competition,” the China Daily reports.
