China's government work report this year highlighted intelligent connected new energy vehicles and emerging industries, including commercial aerospace and the low-altitude economy, as key areas for rapid development.

In eastern China, Anhui province is focusing on building up these new quality productive forces, aiming to promote the successful completion of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) through high-quality economic growth.

Smart EV industry gains momentum

Anhui has taken proactive steps to grow its smart electric vehicle industry as the automotive sector shifts toward electrification and new technology.

In April, the province issued trial guidelines for the management of road testing and demonstration applications of intelligent connected vehicles. Last year, Hefei, the provincial capital, was named one of China's first pilot cities for vehicle-road-cloud integration.

Robotic arms conduct an AI-powered quality inspection on a vehicle at the Maextro Super Factory in Hefei, Anhui province, China. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

A standout example is the Maextro Super Factory, a smart manufacturing plant in Hefei jointly developed by Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group and Huawei. The facility integrates digital research and development with green, low-carbon manufacturing. 

The Maextro S800 flagship sedan debuted on May 30, with more than 500 ultra-luxury vehicles pre-ordered within 19 days, helping to fill a gap in China's domestic high-end car market.

Wei Dawei, director of the Maextro Super Factory, said the S800 features the industry's first independently developed intelligent digital chassis platform, enabling predictive control for bumpy roads and curves. It also uses Huawei's ADS 4 intelligent assisted driving system, which the company says cuts end-to-end latency by 50% and boosts traffic efficiency by 20%.

Expanding the low-altitude economy

Hefei is also moving quickly to grow its low-altitude economy. In June 2024, city officials rolled out a policy package to support the sector, offering up to 20 million yuan ($2.79 million) in annual funding and up to 100 million yuan in total for newly established low-altitude economy research institutions.

Today, more than 300 companies in Hefei are working in the low-altitude sector, building a complete industrial chain for drone R&D, testing, production and operations. The city has built China's first urban air mobility hub and launched more than 200 drone flight routes, providing services such as medical supply delivery, rail inspection and food delivery.

Hefei-based Hey Airlines became the first company in China to receive an operation certificate for autonomous passenger drones from the Civil Aviation Administration of China on March 28, marking the start of the country's first nationwide passenger drone service.

A pilotless EH216-S electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft is seen on a helipad in Hefei, Anhui province, China. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

To ensure safety, Hey Airlines' pilotless EH216-S electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft is equipped with backup systems for all key flight components. Each unit is fitted with its own security key and strong data encryption to prevent unauthorized access. The flight control system has a fail-safe feature that monitors the aircraft's health in real time and can trigger an emergency landing if needed.

Peng Sixuan, marketing director at Hey Airlines, said the company currently offers sightseeing services but plans to expand with options such as aerial weddings and hotel transfers, aiming to make air taxis a reality.

He said a cargo version of the eVTOL, which can carry up to 250 kilograms, is well suited for delivering supplies to remote or mountainous areas. The company also has a firefighting model designed for rapid response to high-rise urban fires.

Commercial space industry takes off

Anhui is also moving into the commercial space industry, with Bengbu city emerging as a key hub. Bengbu has signed agreements with 16 commercial space companies, with total planned investment reaching 5.52 billion yuan. The city is home to three major enterprises and two nationally recognized high-tech firms in the sector.

A view of the China Bengbu Commercial Aerospace Industrial Park in Anhui province, China. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

The China Bengbu Commercial Aerospace Industrial Park, Anhui's first dedicated platform for the commercial space industry, opened on May 10.

The 0.43-square-kilometer park includes a center for space technology innovation, four production bases for rocket engines, satellite manufacturing, reusable spacecraft assembly and new material production, as well as multiple platforms for industry integration and applications. The project aims to build a major commercial aerospace manufacturing hub in the Yangtze River Delta region.

One of the companies operating in the new park is Lingkong Technology Co. Ltd. which provides design services for rockets and high-speed aircraft.

"Our company is focused on cultivating new quality productive forces. In 2024, our output value reached 45 million yuan, and we expect that figure to double this year," said Yang Wei, general manager of Lingkong Technology. "Our new plant in the industrial park has been completed and will be ready for move-in after final inspections and interior work."

Bengbu has established a comprehensive funding system to support commercial space companies at every stage of development, from seed and early growth to maturity. The total value of the fund cluster is expected to exceed 40 billion yuan this year.