Hefei's low-altitude economy has surged past 30 billion yuan in revenue in 2025, gathering over 400 companies in the industrial chain, and forming a "tech + industry + infrastructure + regulation" ecosystem. This is a powerful story of how a city built a thriving low-altitude industry from scratch.
The journey to a "low-altitude city" in Hefei is an immersive experience. From the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) lifting off at Luogang Park for medical deliveries to the city's intelligent "One-Network Unified Flight" management platform, the city is writing a new development paradigm. The numbers behind this success reveal a vivid narrative of building an entire industrial ecosystem.
From "Single Aircraft Operations" to a "City-Level Intelligent Entity"
Inside the command hall of Hefei Guoxian Holdings Co., Ltd., a massive electronic screen displays a dense array of real-time dots—each representing a drone on a mission. Live feeds from Dongpu Reservoir, traffic on the city's ring road, and ecological monitoring data from the Chaohu Lake shore are all visible at a glance. This is the command center for Hefei's government affairs "One-Network Unified Flight" platform.
Launched on August 30, 2025, the platform is the first of its kind at the city level in China. Before this, Hefei, like many cities, faced common challenges with government drone management: separate departments buying their own equipment, leading to waste; data silos blocking information sharing; and a lack of professional maintenance, compromising flight safety.
"Previously, many government departments had their own drones, built in isolation with resources that were hard to share," the platform's director admitted. Hefei's solution was to unify management through the International Advanced Technology Application Promotion Center (Hefei) (also known as the Hefei Low-Altitude Joint Flight Service Center), with state-owned Hefei Guoxian Holdings Co., Ltd. taking the lead.
The platform’s "three-tier unified management" system integrates front-end equipment, mid-stream demand, and back-end data. "Simply put, all drones on the platform are dispatched, managed, and their data coordinated under one system, enabling one network, multiple drones, and multiple uses," the director explained. In just over six months, the platform has integrated 67 drones, including 6 dedicated and 61 shared units.
Inspur Communication Information Systems Co., Ltd. (Inspur Communications) supports the platform. "We can build new equipment as needed or integrate existing equipment from various departments," said Wu Yugang, the company's technical lead. "The platform is compatible with major manufacturers' models and nests, and it leverages existing ground resources like fire stations and cell towers, significantly cutting construction and maintenance costs. A 'honeycomb' flight network covering key areas like the ring road, police stations, and reservoirs is rapidly taking shape."
More impressive is the platform's intelligence. It integrates 79 algorithms for tasks like detecting algae blooms, identifying construction vehicles, spotting illegal parking, recognizing fishing, and locating mobile vendors. For the ring road, drones can perform 24-hour aerial inspections, automatically identifying 14 types of traffic anomalies. "These algorithms let drones evolve from just 'seeing' to 'understanding,' providing more precise support for urban governance," the director noted. The platform now supports over 24 operational scenarios across urban management, emergency response, firefighting, and water resources.
The platform's benefits are threefold: reducing duplicate purchases through equipment pooling, breaking down information silos with data sharing, and lowering management costs via unified maintenance. It creates a cross-departmental drone resource-sharing mechanism, pushing government flights from extensive to intelligent operations. Zhao Wenbing, deputy general manager of Inspur Communications, summarized: "The platform kills three birds with one stone."
Hefei's "One-Network Unified Flight" shows that the key to the low-altitude economy isn't just "how many flights," but "how well they are managed." While most cities are still puzzled by "how to fly," Hefei is already thinking about "how to manage and use them effectively." This shift from scattered procurement to unified dispatch, from data silos to information sharing, and from manual inspection to AI-powered efficiency is a fundamental change in urban governance. It proves that the "takeoff" of the low-altitude economy first requires an "upgrade" in governance capabilities.
From "Concept Validation" to "Commercial Operations"
If the "One-Network Unified Flight" tackled the "how to manage" question, Hefei's low-altitude industry cluster answers the core "who flies and what flies" question. Hefei's Luogang Park, a 12.7-square-kilometer super-scenario "laboratory" converted from an old airport, is a prime example. In May 2024, the Hefei Luogang Air Traffic Operations Center was completed here, operated by Hefei Heyi Aviation Co., Ltd.. Later, in November, the nation's first urban air traffic hub—the Hefei Urban Air Traffic Hub Port—was officially opened.
Heyi Aviation, a joint venture between eVTOL leader EHang and Hefei's state-owned capital platform, focuses on commercializing urban air traffic. Its EH216-S is the world's first unmanned passenger-carrying eVTOL aircraft to receive type certification, production license, and standard airworthiness certificate. On March 28, 2025, Heyi Aviation became one of the first in China to receive the Civil Aviation Administration of China's (CAAC) commercial unmanned passenger-carrying aircraft operator certificate (OC), officially opening the "era of manned flights" in China's low-altitude economy.
Inside the operations center's hangar at Luogang Park, dozens of EH216-S and other models are ready for takeoff. "Based here, we will gradually launch commercial low-altitude sightseeing operations, creating a model for the low-altitude economy," said Shao Yusen, East China commercial director of Heyi Aviation. The park features not only manned aircraft but also delivery drones and autonomous ground vehicles, creating a linked ecosystem. "Safety is our absolute bottom line. Only by ensuring it can the industry have a future," Shao added, noting Heyi's strict adherence to a "cargo first, then passengers" principle, reporting to aviation authorities at every stage.
Another key player in the logistics sector is Xunyi Technology, a pioneer in urban low-altitude logistics. In February 2024, Xunyi moved its national operations headquarters to Hefei to oversee national monitoring, validate low-altitude use cases, and promote the "Fast City Alliance" project. Xunyi's drone logistics are now deployed in over 60 cities, including Hangzhou, Hefei, Zigong, and Kunming. In Hefei, it operates 26 regular routes, covering 16 hospitals and 23 medical districts, along with three blood donation centers in the main urban area, having delivered over 2 million milliliters of blood. Beyond medical use, nearly 100 routes for postal and food delivery services have been launched, with nearly 20,000 flights annually.
Tianke Zhijian, a company founded just two years ago, specializes in drone countermeasure systems, inspection systems, and hoisting systems. Its countermeasure systems integrate radar, spectrum detection, and optical identification for a full chain of "detection, localization, trapping, and jamming." The company has grown rapidly, successfully completing major security tasks. In September 2025, Tianke Zhijian achieved a breakthrough by exporting low-altitude security equipment to the Middle East. Its devices, including anti-drone guns, low-altitude detection radars, and fixed radio detection equipment, are all connected to a unified security management platform. "It can identify drones within 1 to 3 kilometers and monitor them 24/7 using infrared thermal features," said Ge Shaoqi, the company's head. "Once a threat is identified, the countermeasure device can force illegal drones to hover or return within 5 seconds." The system has proven its efficiency, handling over 10,000 drone incidents in a single month in a key area.
Hefei's low-altitude industry is accelerating rapidly. In February 2025, EHang, JAC Motors, and Hefei Guoxian Holdings signed a strategic agreement to jointly build a low-altitude industrial park, investing in advanced, standardized, automated production lines. A complete chain from R&D to manufacturing to operations is taking shape. In August 2025, EHang and Hefei's government inked an investment deal to establish the headquarters for the VT35 series, a new generation of long-range composite-wing eVTOLs. In September 2025, CITIC Offshore Helicopter Co., Ltd. signed a strategic agreement with Hefei to collaborate on low-altitude unmanned cargo and infrastructure. By February 2026, EHang's East China regional headquarters was formally established in Hefei, with further agreements signed for key technology cooperation. In June 2026, Hefei's Yaohai District signed with Hefei Yucheng Aviation Technology Co., Ltd. to focus on drone technology R&D and application.
Hefei's industry cluster proves that the low-altitude economy is not a "single-point breakthrough" but a "system integration." A city cannot focus on just one link; it must build a complete industrial loop from aircraft R&D and parts manufacturing to commercial operations and scenario application. Hefei's uniqueness lies in attracting an industry leader like EHang, cultivating an operations platform like Heyi Aviation, and bringing in application companies like Xunyi. This creates a "leader-led, multi-point supported, chain-developed" full-chain layout. Critically, Hefei has replaced traditional "policy-based investment attraction" with "scenario-based investment attraction," using real-world applications to attract companies and market demand to drive technological innovation.
From Physical Agglomeration to Chemical Reaction
Industry clustering isn't just about piling companies together. The real challenge is making that agglomeration create a "chemical reaction," which tests a park's management and enabling capabilities. In Hefei's Baohe District, the "China Vision" (Baohe District AI Visual Industry Port) is becoming a "super incubator" for the low-altitude economy. As the first demonstration park in Anhui Province focusing on AI visual technology, it centers on AI, low-altitude economy, humanoid robots, and cloud data, building a "tech R&D - outcome transformation - scenario application" full-chain ecosystem.
Inside the China Vision park, there's a palpable "concentration" of the industrial ecosystem. It gathers industry leaders like CETC, Tianke Zhijian, Xunyi's national operations center, and EHang's East China regional headquarters. "Choosing to settle here was no accident. The park, a national demonstration base for industry-university-research cooperation, provides full-cycle services from technology transfer to talent cultivation and capital connection," said the head of Xunyi's national operations center. "Our goal is to be a global leader in low-altitude security," said Ge Shaoqi of Tianke Zhijian. "Here, we found the best soil for landing our technology."
The park's unique strength is its "full-chain" thinking. It's not just a space provider but an ecosystem organizer. Through the park's platform, drones and AI achieve deep "cross-border collaborations," creating a one-stop service from R&D to application. This full-chain ecosystem allows companies to evolve cooperatively, not in isolation. "As Anhui's provincial-level low-altitude development demonstration zone, Baohe District is scenario-led, having launched multiple applications like tourism, inspection, and logistics, forming a replicable, mature operational model," the park director explained.
Baohe District's China Vision park shows that the value of an industrial park lies not in being a "landlord" but in "enabling." While most parks compete on rent and facilities, Hefei's parks are already thinking about how to build platforms for chain collaboration, bridge the "last mile" from tech to market, and create "cross-sector collisions" between different companies. This shift from "physical agglomeration" to "chemical reaction" is the true competitive advantage of an industrial park.
What Did Hefei Do Right?
Looking back at Hefei's rise in the low-altitude economy, several key choices stand out. First, replacing a project-based mindset with a platform-based one. Instead of simply recruiting companies one by one, Hefei first built a national-level innovation platform like the "Guoxian Center," which then integrates resources, sets standards, and nurtures the ecosystem. For instance, when Heyi Aviation was applying for its operator certificate, the Guoxian Center provided efficient communication with aviation authorities through resource alignment and "companion" industry services, helping speed up the approval process.
Second, replacing policy-driven development with scenario-driven development. Hefei understands that the essence of the low-altitude economy is not "building aircraft," but "using aircraft." From the "full-space unmanned system" demonstration project at Luogang Park to the city-wide medical drone delivery network, Hefei uses real scenarios to attract companies, validate technology, and cultivate the market. As the city's action plan for 2025-2027 states, it uses scenario demands to tackle technology, scenario matching to promote applications, and scenario-based investment to gather companies.
Third, replacing policy incentives with institutional innovation. Giving money and land can attract companies, but institutional innovation helps them grow. The essence of Hefei's "One-Network Unified Flight" platform is an institutional innovation—it changed the fragmented management of government drones and established a new mechanism for cross-department resource sharing. From government flight management regulations to special bonds for low-altitude infrastructure, Hefei's institutional exploration has created a predictable environment for industrial development.
Fourth, replacing linear thinking with an ecosystem mindset. The low-altitude economy is not an isolated industry but an ecosystem deeply coupled with AI, new energy, and advanced manufacturing. Hefei has fully leveraged its "science and innovation city" heritage, deeply integrating its strong national industrial clusters in new energy vehicles and AI. This has attracted over 400 companies in the low-altitude chain, forming a "tech + industry + infrastructure + regulation" ecosystem.
Hefei's low-altitude economy rise is not accidental. It is the inevitable result of the city's long-standing "tech + industry" development strategy, a successful replication of the "Hefei Model" in this new field. From being known for its "chip, screen, auto, and AI" industries to becoming a "low-altitude city," Hefei proves a simple truth: to stand out in a new industry track, the key is to find your own rhythm and take a path that suits you. This is perhaps the most important lesson for Shandong's state-owned enterprises to learn from Hefei.