Message from the Director
Welcome to The University of Hong Kong Research Institute for Civil Low-Altitude Aviation! The so-called low-altitude refers to the airspace below around 3km (typically below 1km but can reach higher a lot higher to fuse with general aviation). The anticipated commercial activities include urban/regional advanced air mobility, tourism, agriculture, manned and unmanned transport of goods, facility inspection and public service for emergency and rescue, etc.
Our Institute was established in January 2025 and it is one of the first in the world to focus on the development of civil aviation technology in the low altitudes with the full scope ranging from power system (engine and battery), airframe, materials and structures, electronics and computing, navigation, airspace management, transport and logistics, finance, real-world applications, regulation and law.
With its admin host at the department of mechanical engineering, the institute consists of members across the faculties of engineering, computing and data science, science, architecture, business and economics, and law. In education, we offer a master of science in engineering in low-altitude technology. At the undergraduate level we also support the minor in aeronautical engineering at the dept of mechanical engineering. In research, we work hand-in-hand with leading industrial establishment and vibrant start-ups.
We are also keen to establish lateral collaborations with sister institutions internationally, in China Mainland and locally in the Greater Bay Area (please do get in touch via our admin email dkjj@hku.hk). Together we welcome the dawn of low-altitude economy to become a new driver for social and economic development.