- New innovation center targets drones, smart agriculture, and aerial logistics
- Foundation work underway; full completion expected by 2028
Shaoxing has started construction on a low-altitude economy innovation and R&D center in its Keqiao District, with foundation piling fully underway and expected to finish by July.
The 730-million-yuan ($107 million) project, as part of the so-called Hangzhou Bay Area low-altitude economy cluster, will occupy roughly 64 acres, repurposing one existing factory and adding five new R&D and office buildings along with supporting facilities.
Completion is scheduled for 2028. The project is included in Zhejiang Province’s “1,000 Projects, 1 Trillion Yuan” initiative, a rolling program to advance about 1,000 major projects annually, totaling roughly 1 trillion yuan in investment to support high-quality development.
Keqiao has outlined a systematic roadmap for the low-altitude economy. According to a 2025 district plan, the sector aims to reach an annual output of 8 billion yuan by 2027, with 30 takeoff and landing sites, 40 drone routes, and low-altitude flight hours climbing from 5,000 to 75,000 annually.
The initiative targets integrated applications including drone logistics, smart agriculture, and aerial inspection.
Emerging cluster
Industry activity is already taking shape. In March, Shenzhen-based Xinneng Semiconductor, a high-tech firm specializing in chips and power modules for industrial applications, became the first resident of the park, bringing domestic-leading expertise in IGBT and FRD chips to the low-altitude sector.
Complementing the center, the Shaoxing Optoelectronics Research Center, a 200-million-yuan facility launched last year, along with Zhejiang Province’s Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Intelligent Imaging and Aerospace Perception, provides high-level research support for the emerging industrial cluster.
Keqiao’s strategy focuses on attracting manufacturers and technology providers across complete drones, core components, and air traffic management systems, aiming to rapidly establish a comprehensive low-altitude economy ecosystem.
