On September 28, the Dongguan Low-Altitude Industry Alliance Supply and Demand Matchmaking Conference concluded in the Shuixiang Low-Altitude Economic Cluster. This grand event, which brought together the strengths of government, industry, and academia, not only marked the official debut of the city’s first five municipal-level low-altitude industry bases, but also—through policy briefings, the signing of Guangzhou–Dongguan cooperation agreements, and the nation’s first low-altitude drone football competition—outlined a development blueprint for Dongguan’s low-altitude economy characterized by “clear spatial planning, strong policy support, and close regional collaboration”. As the low-altitude economy becomes a new arena for urban competition, Dongguan is leveraging its ample space and favorable policies to steadily advance toward its goal of becoming a benchmark city for high-quality development of the low-altitude economy in the Greater Bay Area.
The three-dimensional spatial layout serves as the core support for the steady growth of Dongguan’s low-altitude economy. Unlike some cities that face challenges of scattered industrial carriers and fragmented resources, Dongguan has, from the very beginning, anchored its development strategy on a “comprehensive cluster + specialized carrier” approach. The first batch of five municipal-level low-altitude industry bases each have distinct focuses: the complete aircraft equipment manufacturing base in Shuixiang Hexi synergizes with Guangzhou’s Huangpu District to form industrial cohesion; the key components base in Daojiao strengthens the upstream foundation of the supply chain; the innovation incubation and pilot testing base in Songshan Lake bridges the “R&D-commercialization” pipeline; and the intelligent equipment base in Wanjiang promotes cross-industry integration. Supplemented by the coordinated leadership of three major municipal-level comprehensive clusters—Shuixiang, Songshan Lake, and Xiegang—along with infrastructure support from the Hongmei test flight site and 63 low-altitude takeoff and landing points, Dongguan has established a spatial matrix covering the entire “R&D-manufacturing-incubation-application” chain. Notably, the Shuixiang Economic Zone has allocated over 1,000 mu of industrial land and built more than 1.3 million square meters of specialized industrial parks, creating unique carriers that enable “test flights downstairs, R&D upstairs, and takeoffs/landings on the rooftop.” This allows enterprises to “plug and play” with access to end-to-end services. Such “spatial dividends” are precisely Dongguan’s core competitiveness in attracting industrial clustering.
The strength of policy support is the key lever driving Dongguan’s low-altitude economy. The “Several Measures of Dongguan for Supporting the High-Quality Development of the Low-Altitude Economy” introduced 14 targeted initiatives — a precision-targeted “policy toolkit.” In infrastructure, social investments in new general aviation airports are eligible for subsidies of up to 5 million yuan, with individual takeoff and landing facility projects receiving up to 2 million yuan. This not only lowers the entry barrier for private capital but also accelerates the formation of a low-altitude transportation network. In industrial chain cultivation, major industrial investment projects can access subsidies of up to 10 million yuan for expansion and production, directly addressing the funding challenges faced by enterprises in scaling capacity and upgrading operations. This supports over 500 low-altitude-related companies—ranking among the highest in the province—in strengthening and expanding their operations. In application scenarios, subsidies of 300,000 yuan for cross-city routes and 500,000 yuan for cross-border routes have unlocked critical pathways for building the “Eastern Pearl River Delta Low-Altitude Industry Corridor.” What stands out is the policy’s balance between “hard infrastructure” and “soft support,” encompassing everything from talent training subsidies and airworthiness certification incentives to financing cost assistance and insurance mechanism promotions. This has created a service system covering the entire lifecycle of enterprises, effectively translating policy dividends into tangible industrial growth.
The depth of regional coordination has further amplified Dongguan’s advantages in developing its low-altitude economy. As a pilot zone for Guangzhou-Dongguan cooperation, the Shuixiang Economic Zone leverages its location in the Golden Inner Bay Area of the Greater Bay Area to engage in deep collaboration with Guangzhou Development District across three key areas: industry, application scenarios, and activities. In industrial synergy, Shuixiang has already attracted companies such as Guanglian Xianglong Aviation and XAG, complementing the low-altitude industry resources of Guangzhou Development District. Through joint investment promotion and technological cooperation, the two areas are accelerating industrial clustering. In scenario development, they are jointly exploring “low-altitude economy plus” projects, including cross-city bonded logistics and cultural tourism, utilizing Shuixiang’s river networks, agricultural demonstration zones, and Guangzhou Development District’s industrial resources to provide diverse application scenarios. In activity coordination, the two regions have jointly formed four drone football teams to host competitions, which not only raise public awareness of low-altitude technologies but also foster a platform for industry exchange. This collaborative model of “complementary strengths and resource sharing” enables Dongguan to capitalize on Guangzhou’s industrial resources and market demand, accelerating the development of the “Eastern Pearl River Delta Low-Altitude Industry Corridor” and achieving a synergistic effect where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
From creating spatial foundations to attract leading players, to implementing targeted policy support, and fostering collaborative regional development, Dongguan has established a comprehensive logic for advancing its low-altitude economy. Currently, as the low-altitude economy enters a period of rapid development opportunities, Dongguan—leveraging its robust manufacturing base, clear spatial planning, and favorable policies—has already seized a first-mover advantage. Looking ahead, with continuous infrastructure improvements and expanding application scenarios, Dongguan is poised to gain momentum on the track of low-altitude economic development, contributing even more “Dongguan strength” to the high-quality growth of the Greater Bay Area’s low-altitude economy.
