China's New Growth Strategy Backed by Robots
August 29, 2024 | IFREstimated reading time: 2 minutes
At its recent Third Plenum, China mapped out the direction of the country's economic policies: Beijing wants to adapt to the new round of industrial transformation by using robots as an engine for growth. China's success story with industrial robots is unique: the country is by far the largest robot market in the world.
"China's rapid development in industrial robot automation is extraordinary," says Marina Bill, President of the International Federation of Robotics. “The operational stock surpassed the 1.5-million-unit mark two years ago, making China the first and only country with such a large industrial robot stock.” The installation of 290,258 units in 2022 alone represents 52% of the global market.
Demand across various industries
To serve this demand, domestic and international robot suppliers have established production plants in China and continuously increased capacity.
Massive investment in the automotive industry has boosted demand since 2010. China has become both the world's largest car market and the world's largest production base for cars - including electric cars - with strong growth potential. China is also a major producer of electronic devices, batteries, semiconductors and microchips. Since 2016, the electrical and electronics industry has replaced the automotive industry as the main customer and growth driver of industrial robots in China. Various other industries have also started to expand their capacity using advanced automation technology.
Robots as a new engine for growth
Today, China´s home market still is the biggest single market for Chinese robot manufacturers: “So far the number of exported robots from China is very limited,” says Xiaogang Song, Executive Director and Secretary-General of the China Robot Industry Alliance (CRIA). “Chinese robots going abroad started only a few years ago. According to our statistics, the total number of exported robots is less than 5%".
“Like any business looking for a new market, Chinese robot companies go where there is demand for their products”, says Song. Usually, Chinese robot companies set up their branches by cooperating with local partners and hiring local staff. It will take time to build brand credibility by raising technology levels and providing better services to meet the needs of foreign markets. In some areas, such as vision systems or AI applications, Chinese companies have advantages based on meeting the needs of accelerating automation in China's manufacturing sectors. Lower production cost or low cost is also one of the main advantages of Chinese robots.
About China´s “Third Plenum”
China´s Central Committee convened the plenary session, or The Third Plenum, of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party 15-18 July 2024. It is a platform for the party’s leadership to announce key economic reforms and policy directives related to China's long-term social and economic progress.
World Robotics 2024
Final results of the new World Robotics data will be released by IFR on September 24, 2024.
Suggested Items
Robotas Expands European Representative Network with New Strategic Partnerships
06/26/2025 | Robotas Technologies Ltd.Robotas Technologies Ltd. is pleased to announce the expansion of its global sales representative network in Central and Eastern Europe through new partnerships with Weißer SMT Solutions in Germany and MicroVision Technologies (MVTech) in Romania and Hungary.
Luminys Unveils SYNC ROBOTIC's AI Robot Security Inspection Solution as Key Milestone in Foxlink's and NVIDIA's Global AI Leadership
06/20/2025 | PRNewswireLuminys Systems Corporation, the U.S.-based smart technology brand under Foxlink Group, today announced the successful unveiling of SYNC ROBOTIC's AI Security Patrol Robot Solution in Taiwan, powered by NVIDIA and Foxlink's technology ecosystem.
Europe´s Auto Industry Installed 23,000 New Robots
06/17/2025 | IFRInvestment in automating the car industry in Europe remains high. The total number of industrial robots installed reached 23,000 in 2024, which is the second-best result in five years. These are preliminary results presented by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).
Robotas Technologies Champions Innovation in Through-Hole Assembly with Mascot and VERIFY Systems
06/13/2025 | Robotas Technologies Ltd.While Surface Mount Technology (SMT) dominates today’s electronics manufacturing headlines, Robotas Technologies Ltd. continues to lead the charge in advancing Through-Hole Technology (THT) assembly.
Global Robotics Market: How Can Europe Step Up its Game?
06/12/2025 | IFRThe European Union is responsible for installing around 80% of all industrial robots in Europe each year. The EU´s automotive industry is highly automated on a global scale.