Developing a high-speed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platform to fill a domestic gap takes about three years and over 1,100 test flights, according to Sichuan Yaolei Technology Co., Ltd. However, the China (Mianyang) Science and Technology City Low-Altitude Equipment Inspection, Testing, and Certification Center can help accelerate this entire process. For humanoid robots preparing for practical roles, Mianyang is building embodied intelligence training bases where hundreds of hours of training and the collection of over 100,000 action data points allow robots to move more flexibly, autonomously completing tasks such as wiping tables and grasping objects.

Innovative industries require a supporting innovation ecosystem. Beyond research, manufacturing, and application, Mianyang is accelerating its layout of new business formats such as inspection, testing, certification, and data collection and training. By offering more comprehensive services, the city aims to gather innovation momentum and boost the growth of industries like the low-altitude economy and artificial intelligence.

In late August, at a low-altitude equipment testing site at Beichuan Yongchang Airport, a drone performed hovering and cruising maneuvers while a large screen displayed its real-time flight trajectory, power, and environmental parameters. This one-stop facility allows drones to complete airworthiness verification on-site. Meanwhile, in Block 8 of the supporting industrial park in Mianyang's Fucheng District, the main structure of the center's Ground Comprehensive Testing and Verification Sub-center is complete, with eight laboratories under construction. Once operational, it will provide specialized testing for low-altitude equipment, carrying high expectations for the development of the low-altitude economy in Mianyang and Sichuan province.

A low-altitude aircraft must pass rigorous checks after development, including aerodynamic testing, environmental adaptability verification, electromagnetic compatibility tests, and full-machine flight performance assessments, before it can be commercialized. The testing phase alone often requires teams to travel across multiple cities and can take over six months. Emerging industries like the low-altitude economy feature high entry barriers, heavy investment, and long cycles. They require close collaboration among the government, industry, academia, research, and users, pointing to a need for a complete industrial ecosystem. Recognizing this, Mianyang is targeting this critical link in its low-altitude economy industry chain.

The China (Mianyang) Science and Technology City Low-Altitude Equipment Inspection, Testing, and Certification Center is among the first nationwide to offer a one-stop inspection, testing, and certification service that covers the full system, elements, scenarios, and chain, reducing time requirements by over 30%. Led by the Mianyang municipal government and built jointly with research institutes and leading enterprises, the center was created with key stakeholders in mind. According to a project manager, previously, coordinating wind tunnel experiments was a complex task for enterprises, but now the center provides a comprehensive, one-stop solution. By integrating the operations of three main sub-centers for aerodynamic testing, flight testing, and ground comprehensive testing, the center forms a full validation loop from laboratory settings to external field environments.

Mianyang is using its strengths in science and technology to develop production-oriented services for the low-altitude economy, with a focus on equipment inspection and testing. An official from the Science and Technology Production Department of Mianyang Science City stated that this strategy of attracting companies through testing services and promoting industry growth through platforms helps build a unique core industrial advantage rare both within the province and across the nation. Starting with inspection, testing, and certification services, Mianyang's low-altitude economy has seen rapid growth, securing cooperation intentions with more than ten main engine manufacturers. The city's low-altitude economy industry chain now includes 104 companies, covering engine development, complete aircraft and parts manufacturing, and supporting services.

A similar situation is unfolding at the Sichuan Embodied Intelligence Robot Training Ground, where real-world application scenarios serve as a "classroom" to help robotics companies iterate their products. To illustrate, next to a conveyor belt at the base, a robot is practicing picking up and placing items into baskets. This seemingly simple task challenges the robot's precise recognition and mechanical control capabilities. Training staff noted that operational data is collected and fed back to R&D teams for optimization. In just two months, an automatic ingredient-batching robot improved dramatically, from frequently missing its target to operating accurately, with the success rate of the entire process surpassing 99%.

Importantly, the training ground does not serve just a single company. Through cross-heterogeneous data collection systems, it enables standardized testing and source data collection for robots of different brands and types, meeting the needs of the entire industry. Related enterprises can complete multi-dimensional verification in a single test session, reducing R&D costs by 40% and halving iteration cycles. This has attracted upstream and downstream companies to co-locate, leading to the local agglomeration of data collection, algorithm validation, process pilot testing, and inspection certification activities.

Extending its efforts beyond the training ground, Mianyang is accelerating the development of application scenarios. It has introduced a plan to boost AI application scenario cultivation and innovatively adopted an "open competition" mechanism for such scenarios. The city has published two batches of demand lists with a total of 55 scenarios across ten sectors, including commerce, trade, and culture, facilitating the deployment of innovative solutions like intelligent guide dogs for the blind and robot docents in Mianyang.

Recently, at the Second World Humanoid Robot Games, a humanoid robot from Mianyang-based Youliqi, part of its Panther series, calmly completed hotel room tidying and item delivery tasks with precise and fluid movements, ultimately winning the hotel-scenario competition. According to an official from the Science and Technology Production Department of Mianyang Science City, the city is focusing on its "587+" industrial system, aiming to develop characteristic new tracks like the robot industry. To support this, it has established a dual-wheel drive mechanism involving the selection and transformation of innovative platforms and early-stage venture capital investment. Policies such as measures to support breakthroughs in characteristic new tracks have been issued, along with the creation of venture capital funds and events like "Sci-Tech Production Exchange" and "Bank-Enterprise Matchmaking" to provide precise financial support for embodied intelligence companies.