On September 28, the Dongguan Low-altitude Industry Alliance Supply-Demand Matchmaking Conference concluded in the Waterfront Low-altitude Economy Cluster Zone. This major event brought together representatives from government, industry, and academia, marking the official debut of the first five municipal-level low-altitude industry bases. Through a series of activities, including policy briefings, the signing of Guangzhou-Dongguan collaboration agreements, and the nation’s first low-altitude drone football matches, the Conference showcased a clear vision for Dongguan’s low-altitude economy: well-structured spatial planning, strong policy backing, and close regional collaboration. As the low-altitude economy emerges as a new arena for urban competition, Dongguan is leveraging its ample development space and highly favorable policies to steadily advance toward becoming a benchmark city for high-quality low-altitude economic development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
A three-dimensional spatial framework serves as the foundation for the growth of Dongguan’s low-altitude economy. Unlike some cities facing fragmented industrial carriers and scattered resources, Dongguan has, from the outset, pursued a “comprehensive cluster + specialized base” model. The city’s five newly designated municipal-level bases each play a distinct role: The Whole-aircraft Manufacturing Base in Waterfront Economic Zone coordinates with Huangpu District in Guangzhou to build industrial synergy; the Key Components Base in Daojiao Town reinforces the upstream segment of the industry chain; the Innovation and Pilot-testing Base in Songshan Lake bridges the gap between R&D and commercialization; and the Intelligent Equipment Base in Wanjiang Sub-district promotes cross-industry integration. These are complemented by three major municipal-level comprehensive cluster zones, i.e. Waterfront Economic Zone, Songshan Lake, and Xiegang Town, and supported by critical infrastructure such as the Hongmei Test Flight Field and 63 low-altitude takeoff and landing points, together forming a full-chain spatial matrix that connects R&D, manufacturing, incubation, and application. Particularly notable is the Waterfront Economic Zone, which has reserved over 1,000 mu (about 67 hectares) of industrial land and built over 1.3 million square meters of specialized industrial parks. The model of “flight testing downstairs, R&D upstairs, and takeoff and landing on the rooftop” allows enterprises to “plug and play” and immediately access one-stop services. This “spatial dividend” has become one of Dongguan’s strongest draws for industrial clustering.
Strong policy support is another key driver of Dongguan’s low-altitude economy. The Several Measures of Dongguan Cityto Support High-quality Development of the Low-altitude Economy introduce 14 targeted initiatives, described as a precision-engineered “policy package” designed to nurture the sector. In terms of infrastructure support, private investment in new general aviation airports can receive subsidies of up to RMB 5 million, while individual takeoff-and-landing facility projects are eligible for up to RMB 2 million, effectively lowering the entry barrier for social capital and accelerating the formation of a low-altitude transport network. With regard to industrial expansion, major industrial investment projects can obtain expansion subsidies of up to RMB 10 million, directly addressing financing challenges and supporting the city’s more than 500 low-altitude-related enterprises — one of the highest concentrations in the province. As to application scenarios, subsidies of RMB 300,000 for inter-city routes and RMB 500,000 for cross-border routes are designed to open key nodes for developing the “Low-altitude Industrial Corridor along the Eastern Bank of the Pearl River”. Beyond “hard” support, Dongguan’s policies also offer “soft guarantees” covering the entire enterprise lifecycle, including subsidies for talent training, incentives for airworthiness certification, financial cost relief, and support for insurance institutions, which ensures that policy benefits translate into tangible industrial outcomes.
Deeper regional collaboration is further amplifying Dongguan’s development momentum. As the pilot zone for Guangzhou-Dongguan cooperation, the Waterfront Economic Zone leverages its prime location in the core inner bay of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to work closely with Guangzhou Development District across three key dimensions: industry, applications, and events. On industrial cooperation, Waterfront Economic Zone has attracted enterprises such as Guanglian Xianglong Aviation and XAG, forming complementary industrial linkages with Guangzhou’s low-altitude sector through joint investment and technology partnerships. On application development, the two sides are co-developing “low-altitude economy +” projects such as cross-city bonded logistics and aerial tourism, making use of Waterfront Economic Zone’s river network, agricultural demonstration areas, and Guangzhou’s industrial resources to build diverse low-altitude application scenarios. On event collaboration, the two areas have jointly established four drone football teams, promoting public engagement with low-altitude technologies while creating new platforms for industry exchange. This model of “complementary advantages and shared resources” enables Dongguan to leverage Guangzhou’s industrial strengths and market demand, accelerating the formation of the “Low-altitude Industrial Corridor along the Eastern Bank of the Pearl River”, and generating a “1 + 1 > 2” synergistic effect.
From spatial clustering that attracts enterprises, to targeted policy incentives, and collaborative regional development, Dongguan has established a comprehensive and coherent development framework for its low-altitude economy. At a time when the low-altitude economy is entering a critical phase of rapid expansion, Dongguan, backed by its strong manufacturing base, well-defined spatial planning, and highly favorable policies, has already secured a leading position. Going forward, as infrastructure continues to improve and application scenarios further expand, the city is poised to accelerate its pace on this new economic track, contributing even more “Dongguan strength” to the high-quality development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area’s low-altitude economy.
Written by: Chief Correspondent CAO LIJUAN Edited by: ZHANG YE
