With the low-altitude economy officially incorporated into the national development strategy, China is accelerating the construction of a trillion-yuan low-altitude industrial ecosystem. In this air traffic revolution, lightweight materials have risen from a technical support role to a core element of the industry. The domestic substitution process of key materials such as carbon fiber and PEEK is reshaping the global industrial chain landscape.
Strategic-level track: Material costs determine the height of the industry
The release of the "National Comprehensive Three-Dimensional Transport Network Planning Outline" in 2023 marks that the low-altitude economy has entered a policy-driven period. According to CCID Consulting's prediction, the scale of China's low-altitude economy is expected to exceed 1.5 trillion yuan in 2025 and reach 6 trillion yuan in 2030, with a compound annual growth rate of 25.3%. It is worth noting that in the cost structure of aircraft manufacturing, lightweight materials account for 40%, directly affecting flight performance, payload and operating costs.
According to StratviewResearch's forecast, the demand for carbon fiber composites in the eVTOL industry will increase from 500 tons in 2024 to 11,750 tons in 2030, with a CAGR of 69%. A few days ago, driven by the low-altitude economy and the demand for unmanned aerial vehicles, Jilin Chemical Fiber adjusted the price of its various product grades by 10,000 yuan per ton.
Technological Breakthrough: Material innovation Reconfigures Industrial standards
Domestic materials are undergoing a transformation from "application adaptation" to "technology leadership". The breakthroughs in key technologies represented by T800 grade carbon fiber and continuous carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites not only break through the foreign technological blockade but also promote the reconstruction of the airworthiness standard system. Data shows that domestic aviation-grade PEEK material has been certified by the FAA. Its tensile strength is 12% higher than that of imported products, and the cost is 35% lower.
Favorable policies continue to be released. Under the dual impetus of policy support and market drive, the low-altitude economy is particularly booming and is accelerating its rise. Last year, the low-altitude economy was written into the work report of the Chinese government for the first time, fully demonstrating the country's emphasis on this emerging field. According to the estimation of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the market size of China's low-altitude economy is expected to reach 1.5 trillion yuan in 2025 and 3.5 trillion yuan in 2035. Huachuang Securities predicts that the low-altitude economy will enter a stage of "order volume expansion" in 2025.