Shenzhen's skies are becoming busier than ever. In 2024, the city recorded 776,000 cargo drone flights, with daily operations nearing 10,000 drones. Behind the boom in low-altitude economy lies a critical challenge: scale—the very foundation of industrial growth—is now testing urban governance capabilities.

At the 2025 IDEA Conference hosted by the Greater Bay Area Digital Economy Research Institute, Li Shipeng, an academician of the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences and Dean of the institute’s Low-Altitude Economy Division, highlighted that the biggest challenge in low-altitude economy is scaling. "Once the industry reaches a certain scale, previously unseen issues emerge," he noted.

**From Sporadic Flights to 10,000 Drones: A Qualitative Shift in Complexity** Data shows that Shenzhen had 250 drone cargo routes in 2024, alongside 28,000 helicopter passenger flights. By July 31, 2025, the city’s development and reform commission released a plan aiming for a ¥130 billion ($18 billion) output value and support for over 10,000 simultaneous flights by 2026. Li confirmed that Shenzhen has already reached this scale.

The leap from scattered flights to 10,000 drones represents a qualitative shift in management complexity. Li illustrated this with a vivid analogy: "With a few drones, minimal oversight suffices—you could 'fly blind without issues.'" But at 10,000 drones, airspace congestion and reduced spacing expose the limitations of traditional methods.

**Safety Risks and Technical Gaps** This pressure has already manifested in safety risks. Over a dozen near-miss incidents between drones and manned aircraft have occurred due to dense low-altitude traffic. The root issue lies in differing technical standards: manned aircraft rely on barometric altitude (variable with weather), while drones use stable GPS altitude. This "altitude reference" mismatch can cause conflicts even during compliant flights.

Moreover, scaling demands exponential infrastructure upgrades. Transitioning from hundreds to 10,000 drones requires leaps in computing power, communication bandwidth, and control logic. Whether current systems can support 100,000 simultaneous flights remains a pivotal question.

**Tech Solutions: From Hardware to Systems** At the 2025 IDEA Conference, Li’s team unveiled integrated solutions. Hardware-wise, "Altitude Boxes" (low-altitude multi-reference base stations) standardize altitude data across regions, resolving conflicts. This product has earned civil aviation certification, clearing the path for mass deployment.

On the software front, the OpenSILAS system evolved from 1.0 (observer) to 2.0 (actor), integrating AI to auto-generate routes, assess risks, and provide avoidance guidance. Its "4D spatiotemporal data field" architecture boosts computational efficiency, laying groundwork for larger-scale management.

These innovations follow a "localized adaptation" principle. Addressing regional disparities, the team proposed a "Low-Altitude Evolution Theory," offering scalable solutions—from basic tracking for sub-100-flight zones to advanced intervention systems for 10,000-flight cities like Shenzhen.

**The "Patience Industry": A Decade-Long Journey** Amid hype, Li stressed that low-altitude economy is a "patience industry." "Cars took 150 years to mature. Reaching a trillion-yuan scale in a decade would already be rapid," he said.

This patience informs strategy: "Safety first, adapt locally, grow steadily." Rushing expansion without safeguards risks systemic failures. Recent cooling in investments reflects normal industry cycles—initial boom, correction, then resurgence post-problem-solving.

**Global Leadership in Sight** Despite challenges, Li is optimistic about China’s global leadership. "China’s vast low-altitude applications create data and iterative advantages," he said, emphasizing international standards for cross-border operations.

The next decade’s breakthroughs hinge on "management granularity." Precision in communication, navigation, and monitoring is key to enabling high-density flights. With hardware like Altitude Boxes and smarter systems, China is pioneering a safe, efficient path—one that may shape global low-altitude economies.

*Background*: Dr. Li Shipeng, IEEE Fellow and Dean of IDEA’s Low-Altitude Economy Division, leads research on China’s first Smart Integrated Low-Altitude System (SILAS). A pioneer in AI and multimedia, he co-founded Microsoft Research Asia and held executive roles at iFLYTEK and AIRS.