On August 4, Zhang Liqun, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and president of Xi'an Jiaotong University, visited Dawn Group. They discussed industry-academia-research cooperation and ducted aircraft projects, aiming to accelerate a deeper, broader, and higher-level win-win pattern for university-enterprise collaboration. Participants included leaders and experts from Xi'an Jiaotong University's research, chemistry, aerospace, and chemical engineering sectors; Tian Ming, director of Beijing University of Chemical Technology's Advanced Elastomer Materials Research Center, and his team; ducted aircraft project leaders; as well as Dawn's chairman Yu Xiaoning, vice presidents Song Huidong and Qiu Huanling, and relevant department heads.

Over 20 years, Dawn has partnered with Beijing University of Chemical Technology in deep industry-academia-research integration, hailed as a model for university-enterprise collaboration. Last July, Zhang Liqun's visit to Dawn kicked off cooperation with Xi'an Jiaotong University. During this trip, experts toured Dawn's headquarters and Longkou New Materials Science and Technology Industrial Park, learning about its industrial, product, and enterprise chains, and witnessing achievements from industry-education integration.

At the afternoon seminar, the three parties explored collaborative research based on their strengths. Currently, Dawn and Beijing University of Chemical Technology are developing anti-fatigue, anti-cut, high-slip polyurethane elastomers; next-gen thermoplastic elastomers via reversible crosslinking; and stain-resistant SiR/TPU foams for shoe midsoles. Future efforts will deepen research with both universities to fast-track high-value, innovative, and green tech commercialization.

Low-altitude economy, a key area for new productive forces and modern industrial systems, has become a strategic emerging industry. In early May, Yu Xiaoning visited Xi'an Jiaotong University to inspect drone facilities and high-performance all-electric ducted thruster R&D. This visit saw Zhang Liqun and Dawn reach consensus on ducted aircraft projects, offering insights to accelerate implementation.

Xi'an Jiaotong University pioneered a new ducted electric thruster model, enabling all-electric, heavy-lift, long-endurance VTOL drones for emergency firefighting, logistics, plateau border supply, and urban air mobility (UAM). This breakthrough aims to seize strategic high ground in electric aviation, driving collaborative innovation across a nearly 100-billion-yuan industrial chain.