Zhejiang Robot Industry Association
Zhejiang University Robotics Institute
Golden Conference & Exhibition Group
Shanghai Top Sequoia Exhibition Co., Ltd.
Shanghai Berrick Exhibition Co., Ltd.
This year, embodied AI has undoubtedly stood as the absolute focal point of the technology community both at home and abroad.
At NVIDIA GTC, Jensen Huang showcased large models as well as hardware and software tailored for humanoid robots. 1X Technologies, a robotics startup backed by OpenAI, unveiled its latest bipedal humanoid robot prototype, which sparked online skepticism that a human actor was disguised as the machine. Figure AI rolled out its second-generation humanoid robot Figure 02, branding it “the world’s most advanced AI hardware”. During Tesla’s Robotaxi event, Elon Musk appeared alongside the Optimus humanoid robot, which mixed cocktails, danced and interacted with the audience on site.
Jensen Huang appeared onstage alongside a lineup of robots at GTC.
The domestic industry is equally bustling. UBtech, Fourier Intelligence, Starward Robotics and other firms have successively launched new robotic products. Unitree’s quadruped and humanoid robots have earned wide acclaim overseas, while EXrobots’ hyper-realistic humanoid robots stole the spotlight at the World Robot Conference.
Recently, Nanjing, Chongqing, Hangzhou and numerous other cities have consecutively rolled out supportive policies for the robotics industry to seize emerging opportunities.
In September 2023, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) issued the Circular on Organizing the 2023 Unveiling and Bidding Initiative for Future Industrial Innovation Tasks, setting concrete 2025 targets for four priority tracks: metaverse, humanoid robots, brain-computer interfaces and general artificial intelligence. In November 2023, MIIT released the Guidelines for the Innovative Development of Humanoid Robots, outlining milestones: an initial humanoid robot innovation ecosystem to take shape by 2025, and world-leading comprehensive industrial competitiveness by 2027, positioning the sector as a new vital engine of economic growth.
According to incomplete statistics from The Paper, provinces and municipalities including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Shandong and Anhui have issued dedicated robotics industrial policies this year. Robotics innovation centers have been established in Beijing, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Shandong.
On November 27, Nanjing released the Nanjing Action Plan for High-Quality Development of the Robotics Industry (2024–2026). The document aims to accelerate agglomeration of upstream and downstream industrial players, tap high-value application scenarios and advance collaborative innovation across industry, universities, research institutes and end users. It seeks to drive high-quality growth of the robotics sector and build Nanjing into a national benchmark city and industrial cluster hub for robot innovation and demonstration deployment.
On December 2, Tianfu New Area in Sichuan issued the Policy Measures of the Directly Administered Zone of Sichuan Tianfu New Area for High-Quality Development of the AI and Robotics Industry. It offers maximum grants of RMB 1 million per enterprise to support construction of industrial service platforms, R&D of core algorithms and industrial large models, and development of intelligent core hardware. The incentives foster growth of upstream and downstream firms, strengthen the industrial ecosystem chain for AI and robotics, and lift overall industrial competitiveness.
On December 4, Chongqing published the Policy Measures of Chongqing Municipality to Support Innovative Development of the Embodied Intelligent Robot Industry. It targets breakthrough research on core technologies including computing-storage integrated chips, high-performance end effectors, linear electric drive joints, new-generation sensors and robot operating systems. Key R&D tasks covering the full ecosystem of embodied large models will be launched via the Unveiling and Bidding mechanism, with total funding for each bidding project capped at RMB 10 million to deliver a batch of industrialized outputs. Financial support measures are also laid out, encouraging joint investment from Chongqing’s municipal industrial parent fund, industrial capital, social capital and district-level authorities to set up dedicated investment funds for embodied intelligent robots.
Back in October, Chongqing had already released the Chongqing “Robot +” Application Action Plan (2024–2027). The plan advances the development of a modern manufacturing cluster system, nurtures an expanded intelligent manufacturing equipment industrial cluster, boosts high-quality robotics industry growth, develops typical robot use cases and promotes innovative “Robot +” application models.
On December 5, media reports confirmed Hangzhou had officially issued the Hangzhou Humanoid Robot Industry Development Plan (2024–2029), laying out key tasks across 15 dimensions. Centered on “optimal robot ontology + powerful AI brains”, the plan accelerates an integrated innovation system and full industrial chain ecosystem covering R&D, design, manufacturing and deployment of complete humanoid robots. It empowers high-quality robotics industry development, builds a world-leading humanoid robot industrial cluster and fosters a positive cycle of technological innovation and industrial agglomeration.
Without exception, all the above policies prioritize the construction of industrial clusters and complete technological ecosystems.
Wu Yuhang, Co-founder of MagicLab, a humanoid robot enterprise, shared an optimistic view of cluster-focused policy support with The Paper.“In the long run, humanoid robots will evolve into a large-scale high-end manufacturing industry with an even bigger market scale than passenger vehicles. Therefore, we draw parallels with the existing automotive industrial chain: regional industrial clusters carry immense value. A single core enterprise can drive a full local supporting supply chain around its operations.”
Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot interacts with the audience at the event.
The newly released 2025–2030 Key Industrial Implementation Handbook – Robotics by CCID Consulting forecasts robust industry expansion:
China’s industrial robot market scale to reach RMB 68.26 billion in 2025 and RMB 105.26 billion by 2030;
Service robot market to hit RMB 38.80 billion in 2025 and RMB 141.38 billion by 2030;
Special robot market to grow to RMB 15.50 billion in 2025 and RMB 50.66 billion by 2030;
The humanoid robot sector will shift from resource-driven growth to market-driven expansion, with its market size projected at RMB 16.63 billion in 2025 and RMB 86.10 billion by 2030.
The report’s comprehensive evaluation across industrial scale, innovation resources, enterprise agglomeration, ecosystem vitality and policy support divides China’s robotics industry into three distinct regional tiers
Leading Tier: Guangdong, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Beijing, Zhejiang
Backbone Tier: Anhui, Shandong, Liaoning, Hubei, Fujian
Potential Tier: Heilongjiang, Sichuan, Henan, Shaanxi, Tianjin, Chongqing, Hunan, Hebei, Jiangxi, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
As of 2023, China hosted nearly 80,000 enterprises across the full robotics industrial chain, including more than 100 listed firms and over 4,000 high-tech enterprises.
Wu Yuhang noted that the humanoid robot industry has moved past its chaotic early phase.“The sector has entered deep R&D territory. Previously, enterprises prioritized flashy tech demonstrations; now the core focus lies on real-world commercial deployment. The industry is undergoing a rational shakeout, weeding out unviable players amid cutthroat competition.”
At the current stage, mass production and commercial rollout stand as top corporate priorities.
“The biggest challenge facing enterprises today is achieving mass production and sales of at least 1,000 units within the next two years,” Wu explained. “Without stable volume manufacturing and sales, a company remains nothing more than a concept firm or a maker of limited prototypes, and will fall far behind industry leaders in market competition over the next two years.”
Tesla has also stated that mass production represents the true core challenge, requiring continuous manufacturing innovation to slash costs while guaranteeing quality and efficiency.
Gu Jie, Founder and CEO of Fourier Intelligence, told reporters that deliveries of the firm’s GR-1 humanoid robot have surpassed 100 units, with the whole domestic industry likely to top 1,000 units in 2025, though precise targets remain hard to predict. Zhou Jian, Chairman and CEO of UBtech, China’s first listed humanoid robot enterprise, projected orders of 1,000 to 2,000 humanoid robots next year.
MagicLab’s MagicBot humanoid robot operates on a factory production line.
Wu Yuhang emphasized that synergy with local industries — supporting data collection, mass manufacturing, product iteration and real-world deployment of humanoid robots — will be transformative for enterprises advancing to the next growth stage. “With sufficiently low production costs, humanoid robots can deliver expanded functionality and generate tangible value for commercial, industrial and household scenarios.”
He also highlighted two additional critical competitive advantages for regional industrial hubs beyond policy incentives:First, abundant potential end customers for humanoid robots within local industries, such as robust automotive and high-end manufacturing sectors that provide real testbeds for robot deployment and trials.Second, a sufficient talent pipeline to meet the demands of high-end robot manufacturing, with top specialists in mechanical hardware and algorithm development highly sought after by enterprises.
The era of harmonious coexistence between robots and humanity may no longer be far away.