Science and Technology Daily: On the Front Lines of New‑Type Productive Forces | Within China’s National Key Laboratories, the Wenhang Force Is Quietly Taking Root

On January 12, within the premises of the Beijing Flat Glass Group, the first phase of the renovation and upgrade project—comprising two national key laboratories along with their ancillary office spaces and a reception‑and‑exhibition center—was officially handed over to Tsinghua University. “During the renovation, we sought to preserve as much of the original industrial character of the old factory as possible. On that foundation, we reinforced and upgraded the campus buildings to meet the diverse functional needs of the key laboratories, including research and experimentation, office work, and academic exchange,” explained Li Xiaoli, Party Secretary and Chairwoman of Changping Real Estate Company. She added that throughout the development process, the company incorporated numerous Tsinghua‑related elements, aiming to create an environment that makes researchers and faculty and students feel as though they were on Tsinghua’s Haidian campus, thereby enhancing their sense of familiarity and belonging.

Stepping into the National Key Laboratory of Intelligent Green Vehicles and Transportation, one’s eye is immediately drawn to a striking composite‑wing modular flying car prototype in deep gray with a glossy finish. On the laboratory’s display panels, the description of a next‑generation intelligent connected bus inspires great anticipation. Professor Wang Jianqiang of Tsinghua University’s School of Vehicle and Transportation Engineering explains that the lab covers a total floor area of over 21,000 square meters and has been jointly developed by the school’s School of Vehicle and Transportation Engineering, the Department of Electronic Engineering, the Institute for Intelligent Industries, the Department of Civil Engineering, and other units. It provides critical scientific and technological support for consolidating China’s leading position in the fields of intelligent vehicles and green transportation, and for achieving the sustainable development of this strategic pillar industry.

At the exhibition booth showcasing research achievements in new‑energy vortex‑electric propulsion, a white turbine component stood quietly. “This is…” Ducted-fan high-altitude fire-extinguishing drone system turboprop propulsion system, It can overcome the global challenge of firefighting and rescue operations in high-rise buildings exceeding 50 meters within urban areas. .” Li Ye, a representative from Weihang Technology—a spin-off of the Special-Purpose Power Team at Tsinghua University’s School of Vehicle and Transportation Engineering—explained, “ The system boasts significant advantages in operational height, sustained liquid‑discharge flow rate, response speed, and safety, making it a new, highly efficient primary firefighting platform for urban high‑rise buildings. Product-level testing of the system is expected to be completed in February this year, with live‑site exercises commencing in March.

With the full commissioning of Tsinghua University’s Nan’kou National Key Laboratory Base, the site will bring together more than ten of Tsinghua’s national key laboratories, becoming an innovation hub characterized by the highest concentration of organized research capabilities and the greatest potential for industrial application. As a model of university–enterprise collaboration, Weihang Technology will leverage the base’s cutting-edge research resources and the synergistic development advantages of Changping District’s “Three Cities and One Zone” initiative to accelerate technological advancement and its commercialization.

Source: Science and Technology Daily

Editor: Weihang Technology