The Robotics Industry in China
China has been the world’s largest industrial robot market for four consecutive years. In 2016, China had a total sales volume of almost 90,000 units – a 27 percent increase compared to 2015 and representing 30 percent of the global market.To get more news about
RaaS, you can visit glprobotics.com official website.
According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), China has had the most industrial robots in operation globally since 2016. By 2020, China is expected to produce 150,000 industrial robot units and have 950,300 industrial robots in operation.
However, despite China having the most industrial robots in the world, its robot density is below the global average, with only 68 units per 10,000 workers in 2016. Furthermore, most of the demand for robots in China is from international firms, and domestic producers are reliant on foreign technology.
China’s robotics industry is clearly large, but still has significant room for development. The Chinese government has recognized as much in its Made in China 2025 (MIC 2025) industrial policy, which identifies the robotics industry as a strategically important sector. This designation creates both opportunities and challenges for foreign investors.
MIC 2025 starts by listing the robotics industry, along with artificial intelligence and automation, as one of the priority sectors for high-end development to push forward the transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry. This push sees the government aiming to raise the global market share of Chinese-made robots from 31 percent in 2016 to over 50 percent by 2020.
Further, in 2016, the government launched the Robotics Industry Development Plan (2016-2020) to promote robot applications to a wider range of fields and to attract foreign investment, aiming to make 100,000 industrial robots produced by domestic technology annually by 2020.
To attain these goals, the government supports companies that implement robotics-enabled automation in key industries, including automobile manufacturing, electronics, household electrical appliances, and logistics. The government has several programs and incentives to encourage R&D development and innovation, such as offering robot manufacturers and automation businesses subsidies, low-interest loans, tax relief, and land rental incentives.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology recently announced at a news conference in anticipation of the 2018 World Robot Conference that China has “approved a plan to build a national robotics innovation center, which will focus on tackling common bottlenecks such as human-machine interaction technologies and compliant control.”During the 2017 Boao Forum, Chinese officials also restated the importance of domestic and foreign companies to be “treated equally in terms of qualification licenses, government procurement, and enjoying preferential policies of MIC 2025.” Nevertheless, many foreign governments and tech companies fear that MIC 2025 gives Chinese companies an unfair advantage.
To date, the government’s efforts to develop the industry appear largely successful: China is the fastest growing robot market in the world. Analysts attribute China’s rising robotics industry to its scale, growth momentum, and capital.
As of March 2017, more than 800 companies in China were directly involved in robot manufacturing, and by the end of 2017, there were over 6,500 companies relating to robotics. Major Chinese robotics players include SIASUN and DJI Innovations.Development primarily focuses on servo control, motor, and reducer, human-machine interaction techniques, robot vision and intelligent speech, and underwater robots, among other technologies.
The rapid growth in China’s robotics industry is not limited to domestic companies. Foreign companies such as Nachi-Fujikoshi and FANUC have franchised with KUKA, Reis Robotics, Staubli, and ABB to establish production facilities in China – not only sales or integrated offices. The Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn is another major robotics player in China.
Government incentives have also allowed Chinese companies to acquire Western robotics technology companies. For example, in 2016, Midea Group acquired KUKA, one of the world’s largest robot manufacturers, to advance its home appliance production.
