On October 23, in an interview with Chen Jing, the Deputy Director and Chief Inspector of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology, Rong Zhiqin, discussed Shanghai’s commitment to fostering a low-altitude economy. He emphasized that the city aims to strengthen policy support, encouraging enterprises to invest more resources and ramp up innovation efforts to create an environment that positions Shanghai as a national leader in the development of the low-altitude economic industry.

During the same event, Jiang Hongfei, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission, revealed that Shanghai is currently opening new pathways. A collaborative management mechanism for low-altitude flight is being established comprehensively, with a service guarantee system for low-altitude flights based on a “four-network integration” model rapidly taking shape. Various exemplary low-altitude application scenarios are also being explored through pioneering demonstrations.

At the “Yang Shupu” seminar focused on low-altitude economic development, themed “Intelligent Connectivity at Low Altitudes, Co-creating New Quality,” Rong Zhiqin mentioned that Shanghai plans to enhance city-district collaboration and accelerate the creation of a smart logistics network covering commercial zones, educational institutions, parks, and communities for low-altitude delivery services. He highlighted the goal of establishing Shanghai as a benchmark for urban low-altitude logistics commercial applications nationwide. Additionally, the city intends to deepen collaborative models among government, industry, academia, and applications, fostering a profound integration of industrial, innovation, talent, and funding chains to infuse continuous vitality into the low-altitude economic industry.

On the same day, it was revealed that the low-altitude economy is thriving in Shanghai’s Yangpu District. Liu Jinyuan, the Vice Mayor of Yangpu, stated that the district will deepen collaboration among universities, technology parks, and public communities to facilitate a “three-innovation loop” involving original innovation, innovation transformation, and innovation application. This will accelerate the translation of low-altitude technological achievements into practical productivity and developmental momentum. Yangpu is also set to continually enhance industrial services by implementing new policies and measures.

In a significant development, Shanghai’s first drone route crossing over an elevated road was inaugurated, covering the area from Wujiaochang to Huli Baodi. This route adds to the existing ones in commercial and park scenarios, further facilitating the transition of low-altitude logistics delivery from niche trials to broad consumer experiences. Internet platform officials indicated plans to collaborate with universities to explore joint ventures in drone application scenarios, advancing talent cultivation, technology upgrades, and service optimizations, achieving beneficial interactions between production and education.

The “Changyang Innovation Valley” low-altitude economic incubator was also unveiled at the seminar, focusing on research, manufacturing, and applications within the low-altitude economy. By pooling high-end intellectual resources from within and outside the industry, this incubator aims to promote innovation incubation and industry-academia-research collaboration, supporting entrepreneurial efforts in the low-altitude economic sector and helping Yangpu establish itself as a hub for low-altitude economic innovation.

In discussing the “Several Measures for Promoting Low-Altitude Economic Development in Yangpu District (Trial),” Sun Limin, Deputy Director of Yangpu’s Technology and Economy Committee, shared that the district has taken the lead in implementing local policies dedicated to supporting the low-altitude economy. The comprehensive measures include initiatives for establishing flight routes, addressing key core technologies, enhancing low-altitude infrastructure, and improving collaborative service mechanisms, all designed to create a favorable policy environment for the clustering of low-altitude economic industry chain enterprises and promoting industrial development.

Throughout the interview, it was evident that Yangpu aims to develop low-altitude drone logistics applications tailored to its unique contexts while nurturing emerging “chain-leading” and “gazelle” enterprises. The goal is to gather a host of innovative SMEs by 2027, collectively enhancing the innovative capabilities, visibility of clusters, and overall vibrancy of the low-altitude economic industry. Jiang Hongfei expressed hopes that Yangpu will lead the way in urban delivery practices, contributing to Shanghai’s exploration of scalable and replicable experiences across policy planning, industry collaboration, airspace management, and infrastructure layout.