As a typical representative of new quality productive forces and an important direction for strategic emerging industries, the low-altitude economy carries the momentum of technological breakthroughs, the need for industrial upgrading and transformation, and the strategic opportunity for regional competition, and is becoming a new engine for high-quality development.

The national "15th Five-Year Plan" outline proposes to "develop and strengthen emerging industries" and "promote the healthy and orderly development of the low-altitude economy." Heilongjiang Province started its aviation industry early, has a solid foundation in the aerospace industry, and possesses unique favorable conditions for developing the low-altitude economy. It should seize the strategic opportunity of intensive innovation and rapid growth in the low-altitude economy industry to promote its high-quality development.

The low-altitude economy is a typical representative of new quality productive forces

The low-altitude economy fully embodies the characteristics of high technology, high efficiency, and high quality, and is a concentrated manifestation of new quality productive forces across the sky. From the perspective of revolutionary technological breakthroughs, the low-altitude economy is supported by collective breakthroughs in cutting-edge technologies such as new energy power, artificial intelligence, new materials, and BeiDou navigation, reflecting the internal logic of disruptive technologies giving rise to new industries. From the perspective of innovative allocation of production factors, the long-idle low-altitude airspace is being incorporated into the category of production factors as a new type of spatial resource, and through innovative allocation with factors such as capital, technology, data, and talent, it has opened up a "new airspace" for economic and social development. From the perspective of deep industrial transformation and upgrading, the low-altitude economy, driven by low-altitude flight activities, radiates and drives the integrated development of manufacturing, agriculture, cultural tourism, logistics, emergency response, and other industrial fields, promoting the renewal and upgrading of traditional industries.

The low-altitude economy has the characteristics of broad coverage, long industrial chains, and strong growth and driving capacity. Vertically, it covers links such as R&D and design, complete aircraft manufacturing, core components, operational services, and infrastructure support. Horizontally, it radiates across numerous fields such as agricultural and forestry plant protection, cultural tourism consumption, logistics distribution, emergency rescue, and urban governance. It is a comprehensive economic form that integrates advanced manufacturing with modern services and connects technological innovation with scenario application. Developing the low-altitude economy can not only cultivate and strengthen strategic emerging industries and make forward-looking arrangements for future industries, forming a new engine of economic growth, but also empower numerous industries through the low-altitude economy, enhance total factor productivity, and open up new space and shape new momentum for high-quality development. Heilongjiang Province is an old industrial base and should seize the opportunity of this round of industrial transformation, use the low-altitude economy as a breakthrough point to reshape new advantages in industrial competition, and turn the strategic opportunity period into a golden period of development.

Comparative advantages for developing the low-altitude economy

Heilongjiang has a vast territory with diverse terrain including plains, mountains, rivers, and lakes. The application scenarios for the low-altitude economy are very rich, suitable for multi-scenario flight needs such as agricultural and forestry plant protection, aviation forest protection, and low-altitude tourism. Heilongjiang attaches great importance to the development of the low-altitude economy and has issued a series of measures to promote its development. Heilongjiang has numerous aerospace enterprises and, through long-term development of the aerospace industry, has built a relatively complete low-altitude economy industrial chain covering multiple links such as R&D and design, complete aircraft assembly, and operational services. Heilongjiang has a rich reserve of talent for the low-altitude economy industry. A number of universities, major institutes, and advanced research institutions such as Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin Engineering University, and the AVIC Aerodynamics Research Institute continuously provide backup talent for the development of the low-altitude economy, making it a highland for low-altitude economy talent education. As an important birthplace of New China's aviation industry, Heilongjiang has the country's largest civil helicopter manufacturing base. Technologically, the Mohe -40°C UAV Testing Center, as the world's only commercialized cold-region testing platform, has joined forces with national-level scientific research platforms to establish a complete technical system from low-temperature material R&D to extreme-environment operation and maintenance, providing key technical support for optimizing the performance of low-altitude aircraft in extreme environments.

Policy recommendations for developing the low-altitude economy industry

Establish a low-altitude leading group and build a sound working mechanism. Led by the leading group, coordinate departments such as development and reform, industry and information technology, transportation, culture and tourism, agriculture, and emergency response, clarify the division of responsibilities, focus on solving cross-regional and cross-sector development challenges, and form a development synergy. Stimulate low-altitude market demand and reduce low-altitude logistics costs. Create distinctive projects that integrate low-altitude tourism with other experiences, launch routes such as ice and snow aerial photography and border low-altitude sightseeing, and expand publicity for low-altitude aircraft through channels such as short video platforms and tourism exhibitions. Increase efforts to promote low-altitude transportation services. Introduce corresponding support policies for drone freight, reduce the upfront investment and operating costs of logistics enterprises, stimulate the enthusiasm of small and medium-sized enterprises, and promote the development of the low-altitude logistics market. Promote the integration of application scenarios and strengthen product and technology research. Based on resources such as large-scale agriculture, large forests, and large-scale ice and snow, increase support for cross-sector integration projects in agriculture and forestry, tourism, and emergency response. Support and encourage large enterprises to join R&D and overcome core component manufacturing technologies. Relying on the Mohe -40°C UAV Testing Center, focus on breaking through technical challenges such as long-endurance battery life, low-altitude communication stability in complex terrain, and high-precision navigation in extreme weather, strengthen the adaptability of aircraft in cold-region environments, and enhance market competitiveness. Optimize airspace management mechanisms and improve infrastructure construction. Establish a two-tier management system of "provincial-level intelligent dispatch center plus prefecture- and city-level service stations" to simplify cross-regional low-altitude flight approval procedures. Adjust the layout of general aviation airports and takeoff and landing points, add low-altitude aircraft takeoff and landing points in key scenic areas, farms, and forest regions, and equip them with comprehensive service hubs such as charging and battery-swapping and maintenance support stations. Build a talent cultivation system and solidify intellectual support. Cultivate applied talent for the low-altitude economy industry. Jointly with Harbin Institute of Technology and Harbin Engineering University, establish an interdisciplinary "Low-Altitude Economy Engineering" program, and through school-enterprise cooperation and industry-university-research integration, cultivate composite practical talent. Provide preferential measures to attract high-end talent in the low-altitude economy field from home and abroad to develop in Heilongjiang, set up funds to support scientific research and entrepreneurship projects, and meet the talent needs of the rapid development of the low-altitude economy industry. (Author affiliation: Harbin University of Commerce)

Research summary

Promote the integration of application scenarios and strengthen product and technology research. Based on resources such as large-scale agriculture, large forests, and large-scale ice and snow, increase support for cross-sector integration projects in agriculture and forestry, tourism, and emergency response. Support and encourage large enterprises to join R&D and overcome core component manufacturing technologies.