Seizing Opportunities in the RMB 1.5 Trillion Market: How New Material Enterprises Can Capture Low-Altitude Economy Orders

I. Dual Drivers of Policy Support and Technological Innovation Spark a New Engine for Trillion-Yuan Material Demand in the Low-Altitude Economy

After Tesla's supply chain propelled CATL to greatness, the emerging field of the low-altitude economy is poised to become fertile ground for nurturing a new generation of material giants. The "White Paper on the Development of the Low-Altitude Economy" issued authoritatively by the National Development and Reform Commission clearly states that by 2030, the market size of China's low-altitude economy will exceed RMB 3.5 trillion, with the demand for new materials accounting for more than 30%, becoming a key force supporting the growth of the low-altitude economy.

At the policy level, 31 provinces and municipalities, including Shanghai and Shenzhen, have included the low-altitude economy in their 2025 government work reports, explicitly stating that they will provide equipment procurement subsidies of up to RMB 5 million for material enterprises that meet airworthiness certification, with policy dividends continuing to be released. Meanwhile, the material revolution is also accelerating, with the cost of domestically produced T800-grade carbon fiber having dropped to 60% of international levels, and leading enterprises such as Sinotech Eagle having achieved annual production capacity of 10,000 tons, effectively supporting the rapid development of eVTOL aircraft enterprises such as EHang, which has secured orders for more than 200 aircraft bodies.

II. A Panoramic View of Order Harvesters: In-Depth Revelations of Practical Strategies by Leading Enterprises in Six Fields

(1) Materials for Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) Aircraft

Carbon Fiber Giants Lead Innovation: Sinotech Eagle and Fengfei Aerospace have signed a long-term supply agreement worth RMB 1 billion. Its self-developed 12K small-tow carbon fiber, with excellent performance certified by the AS9100D aerospace quality management system, enables a 40% weight reduction for aircraft. The company's unique "dry-jet wet-spinning" process increases the tensile strength of carbon fiber to an astonishing 5.8 GPa, strong enough to lift two adult Asian elephants with a fiber the thickness of a pencil. This core technology has helped Fengfei Aerospace's eVTOL aircraft achieve a range of over 400 kilometers, successfully securing orders for 30 aircraft from Middle Eastern customers.

Rising Stars in Thermal Management Systems: Shenzhen Jinming Aerospace has won a procurement order worth RMB 360 million from Xiaopeng Huitian due to its breakthroughs in graphene-ceramic composite heat sinks, effectively solving the heat dissipation problem of motor compartments operating at temperatures of up to 120°C.

(2) Lightweight Materials for Industrial-Grade Drones

Leader in Polyimide Films: The 12µm ultra-thin, high-temperature-resistant film developed by Ruihua Taihua has become the core packaging material for DJI's T50 agricultural drone circuit boards, with its breakdown voltage increased by three times. This material can operate stably in extreme environments ranging from -269°C to 400°C, successfully replacing products from DuPont, helping DJI capture 70% of the global agricultural drone market share.

3D Printed Metal Powders Aid Weight Reduction: Xi'an Salon provides titanium-aluminum alloy powder to Aerospace Rainbow Drones, achieving a 25% weight reduction for landing gear components, with order volumes increasing by 180% year-on-year, demonstrating the huge potential of 3D printing technology in the aerospace field.

(3) A New Chapter in Weather-Resistant Materials for Low-Altitude Infrastructure

Intelligent Anticorrosive Coatings Ensure Safety: Xiamen Shuangrui Marine Coatings has stood out in multiple provincial and municipal drone takeoff and landing platform projects with its graphene-modified epoxy coating, which withstands salt spray for over 8,000 hours, providing long-term and reliable protection for low-altitude infrastructure.

Transparent Composite Materials Enhance Communication: Sinoma Technology has developed a glass fiber radar dome for mobile 5G aerial base stations, with a signal loss rate of less than 0.5 dB, successfully deployed in the Yangtze River Delta low-altitude communication network, providing strong support for the communication guarantee of the low-altitude economy.

(4) Breakthroughs in Storage and Transportation Materials for Hydrogen-Powered Aircraft

Innovations in Hydrogen Tank Liners: Aoyang Technology's Type IV hydrogen tank plastic liner, certified by the Civil Aviation Administration's CTSO-C90, has become the exclusive supplier for Shanghai Fengfei's hydrogen-powered aircraft. The liner adopts multi-layer nano-barrier technology, with a hydrogen permeability of 0.1 mL/h·L and a 60% weight reduction compared to traditional metal liners, significantly enhancing the aircraft's endurance.

(5) New Developments in Aviation-Grade Smart Sensor Materials

Optical Fiber Sensor Systems Provide Precise Early Warning: The distributed strain monitoring system developed by Yangtze Optical Fiber and EHang can sense deformations at 2,000 key points of the aircraft in real-time, with an early warning accuracy of 0.01 mm, providing robust safety assurance for flight.

(6) New Explorations in Superconducting Electromagnetic Propulsion Materials

High-Temperature Superconducting Tapes Lead the Future: Shanghai Superconductor Technology's second-generation REBCO tapes have a critical current density exceeding 500 A/mm², and are being applied in the research and development of Volant's eVTOL magnetic levitation electric propulsion system, offering the possibility of innovating the power system of low-altitude aircraft.

III. Hidden Concerns Behind the Revelry: Three Industry Pain Points Urgently Need to Be Addressed

Despite the promising prospects for the low-altitude economy's new material industry, its development path is not without obstacles. Pain points such as high certification barriers, disconnected technology transfer, and supply chain disruptions act as thorns on the road, urgently needing to be resolved.

Certification Barriers: The high thresholds of airworthiness certification deter many small and medium-sized enterprises. The 18-month certification cycle, coupled with testing fees of up to RMB 3 million per item, undoubtedly increase operational and time costs for enterprises. How to shorten the certification cycle and reduce testing fees is an urgent issue for the industry to address.

Disconnected Technology Transfer: Disconnected technology transfer also restricts the development of the new material industry. Graphene-reinforced aluminum matrix composites in university laboratories, although having a strength of 800 MPa, have a mass production yield of less than 50%. Converting laboratory scientific and technological achievements into actual productivity and improving mass production yields are major challenges facing the industry.

Supply Chain Disruptions: The issue of supply chain disruptions cannot be ignored. An eVTOL enterprise faced a six-month delay in prototype testing due to delays in the delivery of imported aramid honeycomb core materials. Optimizing supply chain management to ensure the stability and timeliness of material supply is crucial for the healthy development of the low-altitude economy's new material industry.

Addressing these pain points requires the joint efforts of governments, enterprises, universities, and research institutions to form a concerted effort and jointly promote the healthy development of the low-altitude economy's new material industry.