Chinese Companies Making Inroads Into UAV Market

from Want China Times

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), dubbed “aerial robots” in Chinese, have become popular in the private sector in China after proving a big hit in the military equipment manufacturing industry, leading many listed companies to enter the industry.

Several A-share listed Chinese companies, including Guide Infrared Company, Sunshine Laser and Electronics Technology Company and BDStar Navigation, put their wares on display at the fifth Chinese UAV Conference and Exhibition, which took place in Beijing from July 9-11, suggesting they have ambitions of making inroads into the UAV industry, according to the China Securities Journal.

Sources from the industry estimated that given the trend for unmanned, compact and intelligent aerial equipment, UAV demand in China could reach 46 billion yuan (US$7.4 billion) over the next two decades, which will translate into business opportunities for local manufacturers.

The global UAV market is worth around US$100 billion at present, attracting new technology giants, such as Google and Amazon to begin research and development of UAVs and their application.

Presently, around 90% of UAVs are sold to military units and export companies. As the market for automatic devices expands into the private sector, people have started using them in logistics, and even in insurance cases.

China Securities Journal also revealed that representatives from the power and mapping industries appeared to have a lot of interest in the UAV show in Beijing, which can be put into use in various fields in the country, from the fight against drug smuggling, to disaster prevention and controlling rescue missions.

The Journal believes that although there is a lot of potential for UAVs in the Chinese market, there are still several challenges for aircraft manufacturers, including meeting industrial standards and acquiring aviation permits, the journal said.

At the Beijing exhibition, the Guide Infrared booth was one of the most popular. Although the Wuhan-based thermal imaging equipment maker has not made any UAVs yet, its electronic systems can be used on UAVs to perform surveillance, monitoring and search missions.

Shenzhen-based Sunshine, which applies 3D printing technology to the fields of medical treatment and automobile manufacturing, delivered the key-note speech on the links between 3D technologies and UAVs at the three-day show.

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