Exploring the Model of Low-Altitude Economy and Regional Integration: A Case Study of Promoting Regional Integration in the Yangtze River Delta through Low-Altitude Economy

Abstract

This paper explores the integration of the low-altitude economy with the coordinated development of the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region, drawing on the theories of growth poles, industrial clusters, and sustainable development. By analyzing the region’s industrial foundation, policy environment, and technological advantages, the study reveals how low-altitude economic activities—driven by technological innovation and industrial integration—empower sectors such as manufacturing, logistics, modern agriculture, and services. The YRD has preliminarily established an industrial pattern of “Shanghai for R&D – Suzhou for Manufacturing – Hangzhou for Applications,” and has made notable progress in airspace reform and infrastructure. However, challenges such as fragmented airspace management and inconsistent technical standards persist. This study proposes a four-dimensional coordination path—"policy guidance, industrial synergy, technological innovation, and ecological co-construction"—to demonstrate how the low-altitude economy can reconfigure spatial resource allocation and cultivate new regional growth poles. This model offers a practical paradigm for promoting regionally coordinated development driven by new quality productive forces, with its core focused on establishing cross-regional governance mechanisms and mutual recognition systems for technical standards, thereby enabling the market-oriented allocation of airspace resources and innovative breakthroughs in ecological sharing.