Interview with Wen Wei Po: Hong Kong Enterprises in the Low-Altitude Economy: Government Promotes Innovative Technology Implementation
- XSOCIAL
- Jul 4
- 3 min read
Low-Altitude Economy and Drone Shows: A New Wave of Emerging Industries in Hong Kong
Amid the booming development of the low-altitude economy, drone shows, as a striking highlight in this sector, are attracting increasing attention from brand companies. As a key player in the low-altitude economy, Hong Kong-based enterprise X Social Group is accelerating its progress in the drone show arena. With strong government support, it is charting a new blueprint for industrial development.
Government Support Spurs the Low-Altitude Economy
The HKSAR Government has significantly intensified its support for the low-altitude economy. In the 2024 Policy Address, the development of the low-altitude economy was explicitly proposed, reflecting the government's high emphasis on this emerging field. To facilitate the implementation of relevant technologies, the government has introduced large-scale innovation and technology funding initiatives such as the "New Industry Acceleration Plan" worth HKD 10 billion. It has also frequently organized large forums and exhibitions to provide a broad platform for industry collaboration and exchange. These measures have created numerous business opportunities for enterprises like X Social Group, enabling them to ride the wave of the low-altitude economy. The "drone takeoff index" for flight safety, included in the first batch of pilot projects under the "regulatory sandbox" for the low-altitude economy, was fortunate to be selected. In May this year, the government revised relevant regulations via gazette notice, further removing obstacles to the development of the low-altitude economy and demonstrating Hong Kong's high-efficiency advancement in this area.
Drone Light Shows: Dual Breakthroughs in Technology and Application
Since its establishment at Cyberport in 2023, X Social Group has successfully organized nearly 100 drone shows in Hong Kong, amassing extensive experience. The company is continuously refining its drone show technology. The "Drone Takeoff Reliability Index" project jointly conducted with institutions such as Damoda, China Merchants Hoi Tung, China Unicom, and Hong Kong Telecom, after being approved under the low-altitude economy regulatory sandbox, is set to launch on July 11. This project integrates multiple factors, including Hong Kong meteorological data, geographic information systems (GIS), drone performance parameters, and AI prediction algorithms. It also references standard operating procedures for drone shows to establish the world's first city-level drone safe flight decision-support standard. This standard not only constructs a safety barrier for drone shows but also provides critical decision-making support for the overall development of the low-altitude economy, promoting safer and more efficient applications of drone shows in urban environments.
Cross-Department Collaboration Optimizes the Industrial Environment
To drive the development of the low-altitude economy, the Hong Kong government has established a cross-departmental task force, the "Development of Low Altitude Economy Working Group." Lin Hon-yuen, Chief Executive Officer of X Social Group, stated that this has greatly simplified previously complex communication processes. Drone shows involve multiple departments, such as the Marine Department, Civil Aviation Department, Transport Department, Office of Communications, and Leisure and Cultural Services Department, as well as emergency services like the police, fire department, and ambulance services. The formation of the cross-departmental task force has enabled one-stop communication, ensuring smoother coordination across all stages. This has significantly reduced coordination costs for enterprises organizing events, allowing them to focus more on technological innovation and creative performance development.
Hong Kong's Advantages Empower the Drone Industry
Under the "One Country, Two Systems" framework, Hong Kong's unique advantages provide strong momentum for the drone industry. The robust drone manufacturing base in mainland China offers hardware support to Hong Kong. Meanwhile, Hong Kong leverages its tech talent resources and international financial and legal environment to enhance the value of drone technology. Addressing the compatibility issues of mainland drone technology in urban applications, Hong Kong enterprises have demonstrated innovation in niche technological fields, such as utilizing smart storage box technology to reduce the takeoff space required for a 2,000-drone swarm from 5,000 square feet to 1,500 square feet.
Looking ahead, Hong Kong is poised to utilize its strengths to develop world-class low-altitude management standards, aiding mainland technology and enterprises in reaching the global stage. With drone shows as a shining calling card, Hong Kong's low-altitude economy is set to captivate global attention, becoming a new engine for economic diversification and attracting worldwide focus.
The significance of the drone takeoff index for drone shows is self-evident. By integrating meteorological data, geographic information systems, drone performance parameters, and AI prediction algorithms, it predicts risks in advance to ensure flight safety. For large-scale drone swarm shows, the takeoff index effectively prevents chain reactions caused by individual drone malfunctions, ensuring the smooth conduct of performances. Additionally, the index helps technicians adjust and optimize flight parameters in advance, enabling drones to fly precisely along preset trajectories on time, thereby enhancing performance quality. Hong Kong's exploration of the drone takeoff index will further propel the rapid development of the low-altitude economy and drone shows, laying a solid foundation for the prosperity of related industries.
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