China-made drones have become hot products for international buyers due to their diverse application scenarios at the 9th Drone World Congress that closed in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Sunday.
The three-day event attracted 825 exhibitors from around the world with over 5,000 drone products displayed, including unmanned helicopters, unmanned multi-rotor drones and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, and over 130,000 professional visitors and saw deals worth 20 billion yuan (about 2.78 billion U.S. dollars) signed.
"I am astonished by the number of exhibitors and by the number of attendees and visitors. So I like this event very much and I would be glad to come here next year," said Libor, a buyer from the Czech Republic.
International buyers from Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America wandered around the exhibition halls, selecting their favorite products from drones to drone-related parts. Many came to the conference with clear demands.
"I flew from India to attend this expo to meet like different companies and the suppliers. We are buying the motors, motor winding machines, different products, antennas, jammers around 1 million dollars. The event is amazing. So it's like you can find every type of technology in like under one roof," said Archit, an Indian buyer.
"On average, we have at least 700 to 800 customers a day, from South Korea and Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. They are all interested in our aircraft, flight control products, accessories, and optical fibers," said Liu Xiaopeng, an exhibitor.
Shenzhen is home to more than 2,000 drone-related firms, with an annual output value of over 100 billion yuan (13.8 billion U.S. dollars), according to statistics. Shenzhen-based tech giant Tencent is also venturing into drone technologies.
"Tencent right now at the moment is world-known for its quality and Shenzhen itself is considered a hub of innovation and collaboration. I think China is very open to collaboration. It will bring a lot of value to merge your technology or knowhow and experience with international partners," said Clario Dinis Ferreira Wright, president of the Portuguese Drone Association.
China's consumer drones account for 74 percent of the global market, and its industrial drones make up 55 percent of the global market with more than 200 application scenarios, according to the Shenzhen UAV Industry Association.
As 5G communication and artificial intelligence evolve, China's industrial drones have expanded their application scenarios in cultural tourism, emergency response, transportation, urban management and other fields, prompting many companies to launch new products and new solutions to meet new market demands.
China-made drones attract international buyers at expo
