EY Synergize GBA Forum 2025
Experts Unite to Explore Breakthroughs in the Greater Bay Area’s Low-Altitude Economy
On 12 September 2025, EY hosted the “Synergize GBA Forum 2025” at Qianhai, themed “Beyond frontiers: From GBA to the global stage” supported by the HKUST Institute for Emerging Market Studies (IEMS) and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, bringing together experts and stakeholders to explore the future of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
In the panel discussion titled “The next blue ocean: Low-altitude economic opportunities in the GBA”, Prof. Zhu Pengyu, Professor in the Division of Public Policy at HKUST, Director of the Center for Applied Economic Social and Environmental Research, Associate Director of the GREAT Smart Cities Institute, and Faculty Associate of IEMS, shared his insights on the sector’s breakthrough potential. Prof. Zhu emphasized that the low-altitude economy must be demand-driven, with real-world applications across logistics, urban mobility, and public services. He highlighted the importance of regulatory harmonization across the GBA cities and called for multi-stakeholder collaboration to shape a sustainable and inclusive ecosystem.
Joining Prof. Zhu were other distinguished speakers who offered diverse perspectives. Andy Wong, Head of Innovation and Technology at Invest Hong Kong, outlined Hong Kong’s regulatory sandbox and infrastructure planning to support low-altitude innovation. Dr. Li Xiaoliang, General Manager of United Aircraft Group Shenzhen Base, emphasized the importance of building a robust industrial chain through aircraft manufacturing, infrastructure deployment, and application development. Chen Ruihui, Executive Vice President of Shenzhen CPS Unmanned System Research Institute and Executive Director of the Industrial Planning Office at Shenzhen UAV Industry Association, highlighted the need for scalable commercial models and policy clarity to accelerate adoption.
The panel was moderated by Michelle Liu, Partner, Infrastructure Advisory, Greater China Strategy and Transactions, EY (China) Advisory Limited. Together, the speakers underscored the GBA’s potential to lead the development of a globally competitive low-altitude economy.
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With gratitude, IEMS joins as a supporting organization of this meaningful gathering. |
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Prof. Zhu Pengyu, representing HKUST and IEMS, shares his insights on the low-altitude economy, emphasizing the need for demand-driven innovation and cross-border regulatory harmonization to unlock the GBA’s full potential. |
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Prof. Zhu Pengyu of HKUST, alongside distinguished panellists Andy Wong, Dr. Li Xiaoliang, and Chen Ruihui, shares insights on the future of low-altitude economic development in the GBA. |
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