EHang Holdings Limited today announced it has entered into a strategic partnership with the Civil Aviation Flight University of China (CAFUC).
“Building upon the CAFUC’s extensive expertise in civil aviation education, research, and talent development, the two parties will collaborate on cultivating skilled personnel, including operators and maintenance staffs for EHang’s pilotless electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, and their training for personnel licenses and operational supervision. This partnership aims to address the surging demand for talents in the low-altitude economy and foster the sustainable, high-quality development of the civil unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) industry.
“During a briefing of the State Council Information Office of China on October 8, 2024, Chunlin Li, Vice Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), highlighted the booming low-altitude economy and the rising demand for UAV operators. It is estimated that China faces a talent shortage of up to 1 million in this field. The NDRC will continue enhancing job creation efforts and driving the development of strategic emerging industries such as the low-altitude economy and future industries.
“The CAFUC, a university jointly built by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and the government of Sichuan Province, is known as the “Cradle of Chinese Civil Aviation Pilots”. As one of the pioneering universities in China to open a major in UAV system engineering, the CAFUC has been an academic pioneer deeply involved in developing pilot licensing frameworks, formulating regulations and standards, and training practices for civil UAV operators.
EHang and the CAFUC will jointly establish an innovative framework for industry-academia-research cooperation, says the company. “Together, the CAFUC and EHang will launch a demonstration programme for the license management of large civil UAV operators. Guided by the CAAC, the CAFUC and EHang aim to optimize licensing training and examination mechanisms. Both parties will also combine academic education and vocational training, enabling graduates to obtain both basic licenses for large UAVs and EH216-S operator licenses. This ensures a steady talent pipeline of eVTOL operational management professionals for EHang. The CAFUC and EHang also plan to explore setting up a training institution to address the industry’s talent gap by jointly offering operator and maintenance staff licenses for large civil UAVs. In the future, based on practical experience in commercial operations, EHang and the CAFUC will actively participate in the formulation of regulations and standards in the field of large civil UAVs under the leadership of the CAAC. They will also engage in multi-field and multi-level cooperation in science popularization, research, teaching, scientific research, and the transformation of results, jointly leading the development of the industry.”
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