Digital News

　　On August 2, the press conference for the World Robot Conference 2025 took place in Beijing. Xu Xiaolan, Chairperson of the Chinese Institute of Electronics, attended the event and shared an overview of China’s robotics industry development over the past decade. She emphasized that China has firmly maintained its position as the world’s largest industrial robot market for 12 consecutive years. Sales of industrial robots have soared from 70,000 units in 2015 to 302,000 units in 2024.

　　Currently, China’s robotics industry continues to make technological breakthroughs. In terms of sci-tech innovations, Chinese robotics patent applications made up two-thirds of the global total in 2024. Core components, such as precision reducers, high-performance servo drives, and intelligent controllers, that were once heavily dependent on imports a decade ago, have now evolved into a diverse and robust range of domestically developed products. Core technologies such as large robot models, intelligent collaborative control, human-computer interaction, and multimodal sensing are advancing rapidly, greatly enhancing robotic mobility. With optimized AI control algorithms, domestically developed robots now achieve millisecond-level response times, alongside continuous improvements in stability, flexibility, and continuity of movement.

　　From an industrial development standpoint, China has established itself as the world’s largest producer of robots. Industrial robot output rose from 33,000 units in 2015 to 556,000 units in 2023. Meanwhile, service robot production reached 10.519 million units, representing a 34.3% year-on-year increase. Beijing and Shanghai have established the National-Local Co-built Embodied Intelligence Robot Innovation Center and the National-Local Co-built Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, respectively. Also, provinces such as Guangdong, Zhejiang, Anhui, Sichuan, and Hubei have established their robot innovation centers. These centers aim to leverage regional industrial strengths, facilitate technology sharing, and foster collaborative research and development. Complete robot manufacturers fully leverage their leadership to drive coordinated development among upstream and downstream component suppliers across the industry chain, fostering a healthy ecosystem of collaboration among large, medium, and small enterprises.

　　Meanwhile, robot applications are rapidly extending beyond the industrial sector into broader areas of production and daily life. Industrial robots are now used across 71 major industry categories and 236 subcategories within the national economy, with robot density in manufacturing rising to the third highest globally. Service robots are rapidly expanding their presence across diverse sectors such as home services, warehousing and logistics, commercial operations, elderly care and disability assistance, and medical rehabilitation. According to IDC data, Chinese manufacturers dominated the global commercial service robot market in 2024, accounting for an impressive 84.7% of shipments—highlighting their strong scale advantage. Domestic agricultural robots such as robotic lawn mowers and pesticide sprayers command a substantial share of the global market. Specialized robots play crucial roles in major scientific projects, critical infrastructure operation and maintenance, deep-sea exploration, emergency rescue, mining, civil explosives, power, and other fields.

　　Notably, Chinese humanoid robots have achieved significant advances in mobility and agility, positioning them at the forefront of global innovation in this field. “Since the beginning of the year, with humanoid robots frequently capturing widespread attention, domestic humanoid robot companies have seen a surge of orders, highlighting the immense growth potential of the industry,” said Xu Xiaolan. Humanoid robots are the product of deep integration between AI and robotics, representing a higher level of robotic development and serving as the optimal embodiment of embodied intelligence. “Humanoid robots have evolved from simple limb control a decade ago to now featuring intelligent ‘brains,’ nimble ‘cerebellums,’ and flexible ‘limbs,’ incorporating key domestically produced components such as frameless torque motors, coreless motors, and planetary roller screws,” Xu Xiaolan explained. She also noted that by integrating technologies such as chips, sensors, AI, mechanics, and materials, humanoid robots are poised to become the next disruptive innovation following computers, smartphones, and new energy vehicles. They are set to make significant impacts across sectors, including domestic services, manufacturing, warehousing and logistics, border and coastal defense, education, and healthcare—stimulating new consumption, fostering emerging industries, creating new jobs, and accelerating the development of new quality productive forces.