IAT Expands into the Low-Altitude Economy: Tripartite Joint Laboratory for Flying Cars Established

Source: Author: Date:2026-02-10 Read:72

On December 9, seizing the strategic opportunity of the “Low-Altitude Economy” being integrated into China’s blueprint for strategic emerging industries, IAT Automotive Technology Co., Ltd., Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Corp., Ltd. (JAC Group), and BIT Hefei Unmanned Intelligent Equipment Research Institute officially signed a co-construction agreement in Hefei. 

The “Joint Laboratory for Flying Cars” was simultaneously inaugurated. Experts from the Flying Car Branch of the China Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE-China), local government leaders from Hefei, and key executives from the three parties witnessed the launch of this cross-border collaboration for future mobility.

As a new industrial race-track, the low-altitude economy positions flying cars as vital carriers merging automotive and aviation characteristics, with vast prospects in emergency rescue, cultural tourism, and urban commuting. However, industrialization faces hurdles in key technologies, standard systems, and operational models. IAT’s entry at this juncture injects critical engineering capabilities into the sector, while cultivating a new technical framework for future mobility, achieving both corporate evolution and industrial contribution.

Representatives from the three parties—Song Hua, Deputy General Manager of JAC Group Holding Company and Director of the Technology Center; Yang Chao, President of the BIT Hefei Institute of Unmanned Intelligent Equipment; and Wei Xinzhu, Vice President of IAT—signed the Joint Laboratory Cooperation Agreement on behalf of their respective organizations.

A Strong Alliance: Building an Integrated Platform for Industry-Academia-Application Innovation

This collaboration marks a new dimension in IAT’s strategic layout in intelligent mobility, extending from ground-based systems to an integrated ground—air mobility ecosystem. The Joint Laboratory will deeply integrate JAC Group’s extensive experience in vehicle manufacturing and industrialization, the BIT Hefei Institute’s academic strengths in frontier research and unmanned systems, and IAT’s core capabilities in full-chain automotive R&D, systems engineering implementation, and AI-enabled development tools.

Guided by the principles of complementary strengths, collaborative problem-solving, resource sharing, and co-creation for mutual benefit, the three parties aim to establish a benchmark platform for flying car technology development and engineering transformation, jointly addressing the high-intensity innovation and rapid growth opportunities presented by the low-altitude economy.

The unveiling ceremony of the Joint Laboratory was attended by Academician Xiang Changle, Chairman of the Flying Car Branch of SAE-China; Zhou Tianbin, Secretary of the Baohe District Party Committee; Li Ming, Director of JAC Group Holding Company, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and President of the listed company; and Zhang Liqiang, General Manager of IAT.

The Joint Laboratory will operate under a Director Responsibility System led by a Management Committee. JAC Group will serve as the Chair unit of the Management Committee, while the BIT Hefei Institute will act as the Executive Vice Chair, overseeing daily operations. As a core co-founding partner, IAT will be deeply involved throughout the entire process of laboratory planning, technical research, and talent development, pooling the scientific and research strengths of all three parties to enable efficient allocation of innovation resources.

Tackling Core Technologies Across the Full Value Chain: Defining a New Paradigm for Future Mobility

According to the cooperation agreement, the Joint Laboratory will focus on the entire flying car value chain—from configuration design to operational models. 

Joint research efforts will concentrate on nine key areas, including aerodynamic configuration optimization, high-efficiency energy and power systems, precision flight control, integrated ground-air decision-making and planning, intelligent cockpit and connectivity technologies, intelligent chassis systems, testing and validation methodologies and systems, as well as operational models and scenario-based demonstrations. Through phased advancements, the laboratory aims to establish a relatively comprehensive technology system and testing and validation platform.

Looking ahead, the three parties plan to carry out pilot demonstrations in representative scenarios such as scenic tourism, emergency rescue, and low-altitude logistics. They will actively pursue national, provincial, and municipal-level major science and technology projects and innovation platform initiatives, while deepening cooperation in talent cultivation and standards research—jointly building an industry-influential high ground for industry-academia-application collaborative innovation.

Leveraging its accumulated expertise in complete vehicle platform architecture development (such as the ACA and ITB platforms), electrical and electronic architecture (EEA) design, performance simulation, and AI-enabled R&D, IAT will provide core technical support for both the research and engineering implementation of the aforementioned key technologies.

This collaboration represents a strategic extension and innovative practice through which IAT applies its proven automotive R&D methodologies and advanced technologies from the traditional automotive domain to the emerging field of low-altitude three-dimensional mobility. By co-establishing the Joint Laboratory, IAT and its partners are committed to overcoming technical bottlenecks and accelerating the transition of flying cars from conceptual exploration to demonstrative applications. 

Beyond supporting the industrial upgrading and high-quality development of Hefei and Anhui Province, this initiative will also contribute critical momentum toward enabling China to secure a technological high ground in global low-altitude economy competition and to define new paradigms for future mobility.

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