On December 26-28, 2024, the 9th China Aviation Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition series of activities was successfully held in Lishui, Zhejiang. This competition is jointly organized by the Chinese Society of Aeronautics, the Department of Economy and Information Technology of Zhejiang Province, the People's Government of Lishui City, China Aviation Industry Group Co., Ltd., China Aero Engine Group Co., Ltd., Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, China Southern Airlines Group Co., Ltd., China International Capital Corporation Limited, Guoxin Securities Co., Ltd., Advanced Technology Achievement Yangtze River Delta Transformation Center, and Deep Space Exploration Laboratory. Representatives from hundreds of investment institutions and participating projects from the upstream and downstream of the aerospace industry chain, including the aviation industry, aerospace, and commercial aviation, participated in this event.

Since 2024, General Secretary Xi Jinping has clearly put forward the strategic policy of "strengthening the deployment of the entire chain of scientific and technological innovation and the layout in all fields", and emphasized the importance of "increasing innovation efforts and cultivating and strengthening emerging industries". Under the guidance of this grand blueprint for technological innovation, research institutes and private enterprises, as key forces in China's technological innovation, are actively participating in the wave of technological innovation, constantly promoting technological innovation, assisting in the optimization and upgrading of industrial structure, and gradually integrating into the aerospace industry chain. Through collaborative cooperation, complementary advantages, and resource sharing, they jointly promote the pace of technological innovation and industrial development.

The 9th China Aviation Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition aims to fully tap into the new quality productivity in the aerospace industry and promote collaborative innovation between central and private enterprises. It officially invites multiple central enterprise groups to join the competition organizers and discover outstanding projects with potential in the three key tracks of low altitude economy, new material intelligent manufacturing, and future space. It deeply integrates policy guidance, technological innovation, capital driving force, and market traction, accelerates the innovation pace and market integration of small and medium-sized enterprises, and contributes fresh blood and innovation power to the diversified development of China's aerospace industry.

At the opening ceremony, Li Chunhong, Chairman of the Supervisory Committee of the Chinese Aeronautical Society, Zhang Jianhua, former Deputy Director of the National Defense Science and Technology Bureau and Deputy Director of the National Defense Industry Science and Technology Commission, as well as leaders from the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Economy and Information Technology and the Lishui Municipal Government, delivered speeches respectively. Yin Shijun, Vice Chairman of the Chinese Society of Aeronautics and former Chief Engineer of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, Yuan Qiang, former Standing Committee Member of the Air Force Party Committee and former Minister of the Air Force Equipment Department, Zhang Hongbiao, former Deputy Director of the National Defense Science and Technology Industry Committee, former Secretary of the Party Group and General Manager of the China Aviation Industry Second Group, and other leaders attended the opening ceremony.

In his opening speech, Li Chunhong, the Chairman of the Supervisory Committee of the Chinese Society of Aeronautics, pointed out that technological innovation is a key factor in promoting the efficient integration of new quality productivity and new quality combat capability. By closely connecting the two, enterprises can promote and support each other. In the future, driven by aviation technology, aerospace forces will achieve leapfrog development, providing more solid and reliable guarantees for national security. The China Aviation Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition provides an effective way for aviation innovation and entrepreneurship projects to achieve commercial transformation, market expansion, and capital cooperation. Many projects have received sustained financing and have shown good development momentum.

Zhang Jianhua, former deputy director of the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense and deputy director of the National Defense Industry Science and Technology Commission, stated in his opening speech that the Central Economic Work Conference has made important arrangements to promote the integrated development of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation, and to lead the development of new quality productive forces with scientific and technological innovation. The aviation industry is an important component of the national defense technology industry and one of the key areas to enhance the country's comprehensive strength. Looking back, after several generations of hard work, China's aviation industry has gradually grown from a learner to a competitor, and has become a leader in certain key technological fields. Behind all these achievements, there is the hard work of countless researchers and the support and encouragement from all sectors of society.