In the summer season, the National Convention and Exhibition Center (Shanghai) and the 2026 International Low altitude Economy Expo are crowded with people. The reporter found that there were both exhibitors and customers busy negotiating cooperation in the crowd, as well as a large number of teenagers attracted by the "low altitude flying carnival" in the exhibition hall.
A young man is holding his breath and focusing, operating an aerial drone to accurately fly over the picture card on the ground ahead and take photos. On the side of the simulated flight experience area, several teenagers sit in front of a professional flight simulator, holding physical remote controls and practicing operations such as poking balloons and hovering.
The lively youth science popularization activities demonstrate the increasing demand for talent in the low altitude economy.
As a national strategic emerging industry, the low altitude economy is accelerating into the fast lane of development. According to the prediction of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the market size of China's low altitude economy is expected to exceed 3.5 trillion yuan by 2035. Accompanying this is a talent gap.
According to the "Report on the Development of Low altitude Economic Education and Industrial Talents in China (2026)", the shortage of core positions in the low altitude economy will reach 1.82 million in the next five years, and the demand growth rate for technical positions such as algorithms and airworthiness certification will exceed 320%. Therefore, the complete talent chain from youth interest enlightenment, university scientific research and development to industrial practical talent introduction urgently needs to be further constructed and strengthened.
Industry university research collaboration is building a full cycle growth platform that spans from research and development to implementation, continuously delivering composite technical talents for the low altitude industry.
At the booth of Shanghai Beichen Extreme Aviation Power Co., Ltd., a variety of aviation piston engines with light weight, high horsepower, high torque, and good high-altitude performance attracted many professional visitors to stop and exchange ideas. Excellent product performance cannot be achieved without technological breakthroughs.
Enterprise employee Yao Weiye told reporters, "Beichen Airlines has landed in Wujing Town, Minhang District, Shanghai, adjacent to universities such as Shanghai Jiao Tong University and East China Normal University, which can fully link the rich scientific research, talent, and industrial resources in the region
Wujing Town, Minhang District, Shanghai, where Beichen Airlines is located, is situated in the "Da Ling Hao Wan" Science and Technology Innovation Strategy Source Functional Zone, a science and technology innovation gathering area characterized by the transformation of scientific and technological achievements and industrial incubation. Relying on the "Big Zero Bay" technology innovation ecosystem, Beichen Aviation collaborates with regional universities to focus on research and development in areas such as aviation piston engine lightweighting, high power to weight ratio, high reliability, and adaptability to complex environments. Enterprises send real engineering problems from the industrial end to university laboratories, while universities provide feedback on cutting-edge theoretical breakthroughs to the forefront of enterprise research and development. This two-way flow allows talents to continue to grow in a closed loop of "industry problem-solving, university problem-solving, and practical testing".
Enterprises borrow wisdom from universities to tackle key issues, allowing industrial demand to be traced back upstream and feeding back on talent cultivation. At the same time, universities incubate innovative entities, allowing research teams to step out of the laboratory and directly become industry talents.
Deep inside the exhibition hall, there were crowds of people in front of the booth of Nanchang University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Xiong Junhui, Vice Dean of the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Nanchang University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, is standing next to the prototype of the ducted fan propulsion system, introducing the latest scientific research achievements to industrial users.
It is reported that the ducted fan aircraft team of the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the university has long been committed to the research and development of a series of universal ducted fans. After incubation by Nanchang University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, they independently founded Jiangxi Circulation Aviation Technology Co., Ltd. and Shenzhen Circulation Conduit Technology Co., Ltd. They hold multiple independent intellectual property rights and have developed more than 10 series of electric propulsion system products for circulation conduits, which are suitable for industrial drones, large and medium-sized cargo and manned eVTOLs (electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles).
The circulation culvert series propulsion system exhibited this time is not only a cutting-edge scientific research achievement in the field of low altitude technology at Nanchang University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, but also a practical carrier for deepening the integration of industry and education.
Xiong Junhui introduced to reporters that Nanchang University of Aeronautics and Astronautics has attached great importance to the transformation of scientific and technological achievements in recent years, and has introduced specific support measures to encourage teachers to rely on their own patented achievements and transform them through various forms such as technology investment and project development. The close interaction between industry and universities has also changed the previous model of theoretical research limited to on campus laboratories, bringing engineering practical problems in the process of industrialization implementation back to classroom teaching, and transforming them into practical projects, graduation designs, and research directions, allowing more undergraduate and graduate students to participate in real product design, production, assembly, and testing, enhancing students' hands-on practice, innovative thinking, and system engineering abilities.
To seize the new opportunities for low altitude economic development, we must ensure that talent cultivation always resonates with the forefront of the industry, "said Xiong Junhui.