Lei Wai Nong, Macao’s secretary for economy and finance, believes the fledgling unmanned systems industry in Hengqin can support the SAR in its effort to diversify its economy, according to an official announcement.
During a visit to Hengqin yesterday, Lei, who also serves as the director of Hengqin’s Executive Committee, toured the island’s All-Space Smart Unmanned Systems Universal Centre.
He viewed a number of unmanned vehicles, including an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Lei also had the chance to learn about the role of drones for delivery, tourism, and city management, as well as the use of the 5G-A network for drone communication.
At the end of the visit, Lei expressed an interest in city-level demonstrations of ways in which the unmanned systems industry – to use the collective name for drones, autonomous vehicles, remote-controlled boats and similar equipment – could help Macao.
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Hengqin’s unmanned systems industry has been developing rapidly in recent years, with the introduction of self-driving buses in 2022 and the opening of a new route between Hengqin Port and Chimelong in 2023.
This year, Hengqin authorities opened up all the public roads (roughly 330 kilometres) on the island for autonomous vehicle testing. Commercial operation of robotaxis also began several months earlier.
The so-called “low-altitude economy” has been developing rapidly in mainland China in recent years, especially in the form of drone delivery services. One local operator told Chinese state media that his firm had operated more than a million flights since the end of September.
Meanwhile, in April of this year, Guangzhou-headquartered EHang Holdings Limited was granted China’s first passenger-drone production certificate, giving it the green light to start mass producing its two-man flying taxi, known as the EH216-S. Shenzhen is also emerging as a hub for the low-altitude economy and the city unveiled China’s first urban air mobility (UAM) demonstration centre back in January.
