HEFEI — In a sprawling park in Hefei, capital of East China's Anhui province, which was transformed from a retired civil airport, the future of transportation is being quietly tested.

Self-driving cars share the road with pedestrians, while delivery drones and electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOLs) buzz overhead.

Hefei Luogang Park is one of many application scenarios that authorities in Hefei opened for the testing of new technologies, products and business models.

The local government is playing a key role by organizing roadshows and meetings to connect technologies with real-world applications, facilitating deeper integration of scientific and industrial innovation, said Gao Zhengrong, an official with Hefei's Development and Reform Commission.

China is seeking to drive high-quality economic development by exploring further application scenarios for new technologies and products, with the aim of promoting their large-scale industrial application and development, and accelerating the development of emerging industries.

Earlier this month, China unveiled a guideline aimed at "accelerating the cultivation and openness of scenarios and promoting the large-scale application of new scenarios".

Scenarios have become key innovation resources, defined as a bridge that connects technology and industry, and links research and development with the market, Li Chunlin, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission, said at a recent policy briefing in Beijing.

The guideline prioritizes five key areas, including emerging industries, industrial transformation and public services, and has identified 22 specific fields for scenario cultivation and openness.

In South China's Guangdong province, authorities are leveraging the region's vast market and diverse application scenarios to drive scenario innovation in 20 fields, including advanced manufacturing, the maritime economy and low-altitude economy.

Ai Xuefeng, head of the Guangdong Provincial Development and Reform Commission, said the province has released 20 rounds of scenario supply-and-demand lists to connect innovators with potential users.

These real-world trials offer more than technical validation. They also provide a form of verification by testing the feasibility of business models and institutional reforms.

Central government departments are actively supporting the initiative. The State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council has opened 190 pilot test and verification platforms of centrally administered State-owned enterprises. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is focusing on nurturing application scenarios in sectors such as "5G+", "AI+", "robotics plus" and "industrial internet plus."

Regions across China are transforming into innovation testing hubs. Beijing is promoting the application of smart city technologies, while Anhui plans to deploy 1,000 quantum information technology application scenarios by 2027.

Sichuan province in Southwest China is ramping up efforts in cutting-edge urban rail technologies, as Southwest Jiaotong University, together with industrial leaders such as China Railway 23rd Bureau Group Corp (CR23G), initiated a joint maglev technology laboratory at a recent industrial forum in Chengdu, Sichuan province.

As part of the innovation project, CR23G — China's only builder with both high and medium-speed maglev track experience — shoulders the construction of a line specially for maglev tests, which allows ultra-high-speed trains operating at a maximum speed of 1,500 kilometers per hour.

To eliminate administrative barriers, 20 cities, including Hefei, Shanghai, Hangzhou in Zhejiang province and Foshan in Guangdong, formed a scenario innovation city alliance earlier this year, aiming to promote the wide application of new technologies and products across the country.

Experts say this nationwide push to create real-world testing environments is crucial for accelerating innovation and driving high-quality economic growth.

"Placing enterprises' research and development in real environments will allow new technologies, products and business models to rapidly verify and evolve," said Liu Quanhong, director of the institute of industrial and technological economics under the NDRC.