China eyes robot manufacturing as way to fuel economic growth
- The government believes the robotics industry is on the cusp of a ‘revolutionary leap’ that could help fuel the country’s development
- The country is already the world’s leading market for the sector, with revenues passing the US$23 billion mark last year
The country is the world’s largest market for robots and last year more than half of the industrial robots installed worldwide were in China.
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Last week Xin Guobin, a vice-minister for industry and information technology, urged the robotics industry to aim for “breakthroughs in high-end machines, key components and the production process” through innovation.
“Robots are deeply integrated with the new generation of information technology, with enhanced automation and adaptability and expanding applications. [They have] penetrated every aspect of the economy and society,” Xin told the opening ceremony of the six-day World Robot Conference in Beijing on Wednesday.
Xin said the use of industrial robots has rapidly expanded in new energy vehicles, lithium batteries, photovoltaics and other emerging industries.
“The robotics industry is now approaching a tipping point towards a revolutionary leap, containing huge investment opportunities and surging development momentum,” Xin said.