Elevating the Low-Altitude Economy to New Heights (Ⅱ)
—Interview with Luo Jun of the China Low-Altitude Economy Alliance
To read the first part of the article, please click: https://www.supermap.com/en-us/news/?82_4084.html
02: GIS Foundation + Product Innovation: Stabilizing the Low-Altitude Economy
Why does the low-altitude economy hold such promise? Because it addresses critical needs across various industries. For example, in logistics, establishing multiple flight service stations in a city can significantly enhance efficiency through drones, driving industrial transformation. Similar applications include agricultural protection, power line inspection, and highway monitoring.
In passenger transport, the low-altitude economy is a vital component of three-dimensional transportation. While China's highway and high-speed rail networks are well-developed, the next frontier lies in the skies. General aviation remains underdeveloped, and private aircraft are not widely accessible. Drones, particularly eVTOLs, can cover the 200-1,000 meters altitude range, addressing point-to-point urban transportation needs within a 200-300 km radius. This represents a significant convenience that the low-altitude economy will bring to daily life.
"The low-altitude economy will profoundly and enduringly transform our lifestyles and production methods. It will not only shorten distances between people, goods, and places but also spawn new trillion-yuan industrial clusters," Luo remarked.
In the low-altitude economy industrial chain, aerial traffic control networks and ground service stations must integrate real-time flight, route, and user service data into GIS-based digital platforms for analysis and management. This digital foundation ensures safe and orderly flights, expands application scenarios, and closes the loop on the low-altitude economy ecosystem, which necessitates the involvement of geographic information service providers.
"Beyond GIS serving as the digital backbone, domestic GIS leaders like SuperMap have launched products such as low-altitude digital flight service platforms, actively assisting local development and reform commissions, data bureaus, and transportation departments in building new low-altitude economy infrastructure and participating in regional planning," Luo added.
03: Regional Guidance + Alliance Formation: Extending the Reach of the Low-Altitude Economy
The low-altitude economy has become a national strategic priority, widely recognized across the industry. Local governments are actively advancing related initiatives. Cities like Shenzhen, Beijing, and Shanghai have introduced policies and regulations covering infrastructure, flight services, industrial applications, technological innovation, and safety management, laying a solid foundation for comprehensive development.
Since its establishment in August 2024, the China Low-Altitude Economy Alliance has brought together leading enterprises, research institutions, and local governments to build an open and collaborative ecosystem. The alliance has organized conferences in Changshu and Quanzhou, connecting member enterprises with local governments and businesses. It has also hosted thematic salons and the inaugural Global Low-Altitude Economy Forum, where over 800 experts discussed technological pathways, business models, and application scenarios.
"The momentum of low-altitude economy is unstoppable. I hope industry peers will contribute from various angles to propel its growth," Luo concluded.
The end.
