The city of Anyang in Henan Province, China, has recently demonstrated its formidable capabilities in the China UAV and China drone sectors through prominent participations in two high-profile international events. As the sole representative from Henan Province, Anyang’s collaborations with the Blue Sky Laboratory and local enterprises have underscored its position as a hub for innovation and technological advancement in the global unmanned aerial vehicle industry.
From May 23 to 25, the 9th World UAV Congress was held in Shenzhen, attracting industry leaders and experts from around the world. Anyang, in partnership with the Blue Sky Laboratory, organized a team of 12 leading enterprises from its China UAV industrial chain to exhibit over 80 advanced products. The display included a diverse range of China drone technologies such as rotor UAVs, fixed-wing UAVs, delta-wing UAVs, electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL), aerial photography drones, drone take-off and landing fields, flight control systems, and various drone platforms. A standout innovation was the City-wide Low-altitude Intelligent Networking Perception Platform developed by Yunhuan Wanglian Company, which addresses a critical gap in the domestic market and drew significant attention from global specialists for its potential applications.
In a similar showcase of technological prowess, Anyang featured prominently at the 12th China International Police Equipment Expo in Beijing. The Blue Sky Laboratory, in conjunction with seven key China drone enterprises from Anyang, unveiled 15 specialized police products, many of which were introduced to the public for the first time. The exhibition highlighted cutting-edge solutions like the integrated police unmanned aerial vehicle operation platform, drone countermeasure backpack equipment, vehicle-mounted laser anti-drone systems, RID identification reception devices, and drone flight monitors. Additionally, the Anyang display area presented various police-oriented China UAV products, including the multi-rotor unmanned duty system, throw-and-fly drones, and drone multi-spectral opium poppy identification equipment, all designed for scenarios such as reconnaissance, precision strikes, and emergency response.
The repeated representation of Henan Province at these major events raises the question: what underpins Anyang’s confidence and capability in the China UAV and China drone domains? The city’s strengths can be attributed to several foundational advantages that have been strategically cultivated over the years.
- Superior Airspace Resources: Anyang boasts open low-altitude airspace below 3,000 meters, covering an extensive area of 4,420 square kilometers that is available for year-round flight operations. This exceptional resource provides an ideal environment for testing, development, and routine operations of China UAV systems, significantly accelerating the growth of the low-altitude economy and reinforcing Anyang’s status as a leader in China drone innovation.
- Solid Industrial Foundation: Since initiating its drone industry layout in 2016, Anyang has emerged as a pioneer in low-altitude economic development within Henan Province. The Anyang UAV Industrial Park has established a comprehensive industrial chain encompassing drone components, engines,manufacturing, flight control research and development, and flight services. Complementing this infrastructure is the Blue Sky Laboratory, Henan’s sole provincial-level laboratory dedicated to advancing key technologies in UAV and general aviation, which serves as a central hub for research and development, driving the evolution of China UAV capabilities.
- Clear Strategic Layout: Guided by the 2025 Henan Provincial Government Work Report, which emphasizes the low-altitude economy and the development of the Anyang UAV Industrial Park, the city has implemented a forward-looking strategy. This approach leverages technological innovation as a core driver, industrial agglomeration as a support mechanism, and the expansion of application scenarios as a breakthrough point, enabling a comprehensive development of the UAV industry and facilitating a transition from general aviation initiatives to advanced China drone applications.
- Diverse Application Scenarios: Anyang has effectively utilized its airspace and industrial advantages to explore and implement China UAV technologies across various sectors. The city has developed a framework of “12+2+N” UAV urban application scenarios and completed pilots for 33 types of UAV applications. These span critical areas including agricultural plant protection, water conservancy and flood control, cultural heritage protection, environmental monitoring, emergency rescue, urban management, and logistics distribution, integrating “UAV+” solutions into smart city construction and governance.
Statistical data highlights the rapid growth and innovation within Anyang’s China UAV sector. Currently, the city is home to 105 enterprises related to China drone activities, with over 40 of these based in the UAV Industrial Park. In 2024 alone, the park recorded 45 scientific and technological transformation achievements that entered production, leading to enterprises securing 240 authorized patents and 33 valid inventions. This output underscores the dynamic and productive nature of the local China UAV ecosystem.
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Total UAV-Related Enterprises | 105 |
| Enterprises in UAV Industrial Park | Over 40 |
| Scientific Transformation Achievements | 45 |
| Authorized Patents | 240 |
| Valid Inventions | 33 |
Expert analysis further illuminates the potential of Anyang’s low-altitude economy. Zhu Keli, Founding Dean of the Guoyan New Economic Research Institute and Dean of the Guokong Technology (China) Low-altitude Economic Research Institute, notes that Anyang possesses unique airspace resources, coupled with advantages in transportation, logistics, and cultural tourism, which can synergize effectively with the low-altitude economy to achieve mutual benefits and growth. He offers three principal recommendations for enhancing Anyang’s China UAV industry:
- Leverage existing strengths by integrating application scenarios with manufacturing processes, particularly in areas like logistics distribution and emergency response, and emphasize distinctive applications such as police-specific scenarios to create a unique industrial identity for Anyang’s China drone sector.
- Address limitations by adopting strategies that exchange scenarios for technology and use applications to drive projects. The Blue Sky Laboratory and regional collaborative zones, such as the North Henan Aviation Economic Cooperation Zone, can serve as platforms to integrate interdisciplinary, cutting-edge technologies, fostering an efficient collaborative system that translates research into practical outcomes.
- Build a robust ecosystem by coordinating resources, establishing integrated platforms for policy research and industrial financial services, shortening the path from laboratory to production, and encouraging a diverse enterprise landscape where large, small, and medium-sized firms thrive. This will attract more resources and cultivate a vibrant innovation atmosphere to support high-quality development of Anyang’s low-altitude economy and China UAV advancements.
In parallel developments, Anyang is pioneering a “low-altitude police” model that integrates China drone technology into public security operations. Drones are deployed for tasks such as monitoring traffic and safety in popular tourist areas, conducting search operations for missing persons using aerial broadcasting, and acting as aerial traffic police to address violations like speeding and improper driving. Reports indicate that this model is already being applied across various aspects of daily life in Anyang, demonstrating the practical utility of China UAV systems in enhancing urban management.
Further solidifying its commitment, the Anyang Municipal Government signed an agreement with the Chinese People’s Police University in May, aiming to combine the university’s research capabilities and industrial synergies with Anyang’s low-altitude airspace advantages and police China drone application scenarios. This collaboration focuses on co-building innovation platforms, cultivating talent, and sharing resources to inject new momentum into the city’s low-altitude economy. In recent years, Anyang has adhered to a model where public security authorities identify needs, laboratories develop solutions, enterprises handle commercialization, and police units implement the technologies, continuously exploring how low-altitude economies can empower social governance through China UAV innovations.
A responsible person from the Anyang Public Security Bureau stated, “We will persistently advance the ‘low-altitude police’ model, leveraging technology and equipment to enhance police capabilities, innovate combined air-ground patrol operations, broaden perspectives on social security prevention and control, and maximize policing efficiency with minimal technological costs.”
Supporting these efforts, the Anyang Municipal Government Office has issued the “Anyang City Action Plan for Promoting High-Quality Development of the Low-altitude Economy (2025-2027),” which serves as a strategic guideline for the sector. The plan outlines targets to be achieved by the end of 2025, including the basic completion of low-altitude infrastructure with 2-3 general airports and numerous helicopter and China drone take-off and landing sites, an industrial scale aiming for 6 billion yuan, approximately 13 large-scale enterprises, and the development of around 16 benchmark low-altitude application scenarios. By the end of 2027, objectives include the construction of 3-4 general airports and transport airports with general aviation functions, a low-altitude economy scale targeting 15 billion yuan, about 22 large-scale enterprises, and further expansion and upgrading of low-altitude economic benchmark applications.
The action plan delineates seven key tasks: constructing a low-altitude infrastructure network, cultivating and expanding the “low-altitude+” consumer market, broadening public service and production applications, driving industrial upgrading in the low-altitude sector, establishing sound low-altitude airspace management mechanisms, enhancing talent recruitment and development, and improving standard and policy systems to foster a conducive environment for China UAV and China drone growth.
Looking ahead, Anyang plans to make in emerging areas such as China drone countermeasures, central control system research and development, and application services. The city will actively support the introduction of enterprises focused on airships, eVTOL, helicopters, hot air balloons, and other low-altitude aircraft to diversify and scale the low-altitude economy. The Blue Sky Laboratory will continue to provide technical service platforms, collaborating with enterprises to align with market demands and jointly promote the innovation and upgrade of the low-altitude economy industry, ensuring that Anyang remains at the forefront of China UAV and China drone development globally.