Government, industry, university, and research representatives from nine Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies gathered in Shanghai on July 22, 2026, to advance pragmatic cooperation on the low-altitude economy. The meeting occurred concurrently with the opening forum of the 2026 International Low-Altitude Economy Expo at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). The event served as the venue for the APEC-funded project, the Asia-Pacific Symposium for Strategic Innovation in Sustainable Technology (ASSIST), aiming to deepen industrial coordination and innovative joint development across the region.

The primary outcome of the symposium was the official release of the shortlist for the 2026 Asia-Pacific Low-Altitude Economy Innovation Pioneer Cases. These cases were awarded at the 2026 International Advanced Air Mobility Expo. Applicant enterprises underwent offline defense and multiple rounds of comprehensive review. In total, 20 outstanding cases were selected. The selected cases span hard-tech products, livelihood and industrial scenario applications, and ecosystem supporting services, illustrating innovation vitality along the whole industrial chain of the Asia-Pacific low-altitude economy.

Academician Xiang Jinwu of the Chinese Academy of Engineering formally read out an initiative at the conference. The initiative calls on all APEC economies to jointly advance five key action priorities:

Participants from China, the United States, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Peru engaged in exchanges on policy coordination, technological breakthroughs, application scenario implementation, and industrial ecosystem co-construction. China serves as the APEC Host Economy in 2026. The Council for the Promotion of International Trade Shanghai secured the hosting of the ASSIST project, leveraging its role as a bridge for international trade and investment.

What the Numbers Show

The selection of exactly 20 cases from a pool of applicants undergoing offline defense indicates a rigorous vetting process focused on quality over quantity. The diversity of the selected cases—covering hard-tech products, livelihood applications, and ecosystem services—suggests that the Asia-Pacific low-altitude economy is developing holistically rather than focusing solely on hardware manufacturing. This breadth supports the initiative's goal of building a comprehensive industrial ecological system.

The low-altitude economy remains in the early stage of scaled development. Participants identified common challenges in airspace governance, airworthiness standards, and safety supervision. The symposium highlighted that Asia-Pacific economies feature complementary resource endowments and diverse application scenarios. Deepening collaborative cooperation represents shared opportunities for innovative regional economic expansion. Participants committed to advancing rule alignment, mutual recognition of standards, and scenario sharing to build an Asia-Pacific community for innovative low-altitude economy development.