Recently, data from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR)’s “2024 World Robotics Report” show that, Globally, approximately 4.28 million robots are operating in factories, a year-on-year increase of 10%.

Annual industrial robot installations have exceeded 500,000 units for the third consecutive year. Among the industrial robots newly deployed in 2023, 70% were installed in Asia, 17% in Europe, and 10% in the Americas.

Among them, China is currently the world’s largest market. In 2023, a total of 276,000 industrial robots were installed worldwide, with China accounting for 51% of the global total.

In 2023, China’s installed base of industrial robots was approximately 1.8 million units. Becoming the world’s first and… The only country with such a large installed base of industrial robots. It is expected that China’s demand for industrial robots will accelerate in the second half of 2024.

According to forecasts by Head Leopard Research Institute, By 2025, the market size of China’s industrial robot manufacturing sector is expected to reach RMB 84.04 billion.

Meanwhile, recent data released by the Automation Industry Association, a U.S.-based robotics industry organization, show that… U.S. factory robot orders have been steadily declining: last year, North American factory robot orders fell by nearly one-third compared with the year before, and in the first half of this year, order volumes declined further from the same period last year.

The Wall Street Journal has also reported that, As U.S. manufacturing slows, robots in American factories are left with “nothing to do.” The newspaper cited statements from multiple corporate executives, noting that as factory output has slowed, the procurement of robotic and other automated technologies has been put on hold.

So why is China’s industrial robotics sector experiencing such strong growth? And what does the future hold for industrial robots?

Understanding Industrial Robots

— Current Status of Industrial Robot Development

The development of industrial robots has spanned more than half a century. Since 1962, when the American company Unimate built the first industrial robot and deployed it at General Motors, industrial robots have gradually become an essential component of manufacturing automation.

Against the backdrop of a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, major economies worldwide are engaged in fierce competition centered on intelligent manufacturing, with industrial robots at its core.

As a critical piece of infrastructure for transitioning from “manufacturing” to “intelligent manufacturing,” industrial robots are assuming an increasingly important role.

According to the definition in China’s national standard GB/T 12643-2013: An industrial robot is an automated, position‑controlled, reprogrammable manipulator with multiple degrees of freedom, capable of handling materials, parts, or tools to perform a variety of tasks.

Industrial robots can be classified, according to their application areas, into welding robots, handling robots, assembly robots, material‑handling robots, painting robots, and others.

Among them, The material handling sector is, to date, the largest application area.

The intelligent collaborative palletizing robot under Rongyu Intelligence falls under the category of palletizing robots within the broader family of handling robots.

It features six-axis collaboration, enabling omnidirectional flexible motion in three-dimensional space, and can automatically detect, precisely grasp, and efficiently stack goods of various sizes and weights.

Moreover, it supports multiple palletizing recipes and requires zero programming, enabling even non‑specialist operators to get up to speed quickly and achieve highly efficient operations.

Industrial robots can free workers from arduous or hazardous physical labor while addressing issues such as labor shortages, high labor costs, and low productivity.

At present, China’s industrial robotics industry has evolved from a leader in individual segments to a versatile powerhouse. A complete industrial chain has been established, spanning from core components to the robot body itself and extending to system integration.

It possesses end-to-end, self-sufficient production and supply-chain capabilities, spanning from upstream core components and midstream system manufacturing to downstream system integration and application.

Meanwhile, multi‑core industrial clusters—led by cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen—are also rapidly taking shape.

Among them, the Yangtze River Delta region accounts for more than 50% of the nation’s robot production capacity.

Leveraging its robust industrial base and first-mover advantages in next-generation information technologies, the Pearl River Delta is actively cultivating a cluster of future-oriented intelligent equipment industries, driving the industrial robotics sector toward greater intelligence, higher-end capabilities, and integrated solutions.

At the right moment

— Opportunities for the Development of Industrial Robots in China

The rapid development of industrial robots, First, it stems from the guiding nature of policy.

At present, China’s robotics industry has entered a critical phase. The development of the robotics industry has received high priority from the Chinese government and has become a key area of national policy support. In response, the state has introduced a series of development strategies and plans related to robotics.

Among them, the “14th Five-Year Plan for the Development of the Robotics Industry,” jointly issued in December 2021 by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and 14 other departments (hereinafter referred to as the “Plan”), states: By 2025, China will have become a global hub for robotics innovation, a cluster of high-end manufacturing, and a leading platform for integrated applications; the robotics industry’s revenue is expected to grow at an annual rate exceeding 20%. By 2035, robots will have become an integral part of people’s daily lives.

In response to the national call, provinces and cities have actively promoted the development of the industrial robotics sector, each issuing local action plans aimed at fostering its growth.

From Guangdong’s perspective, in December 2023 the province also released the Action Plan for Fostering Strategic Emerging Industry Clusters of Intelligent Robots (2023–2025), which clearly sets out the following future objectives: By 2025, the smart robotics industry is expected to achieve operating revenue of RMB 80 billion, with the service robotics sector accounting for RMB 20 billion and the unmanned aerial (and marine) vehicle sector contributing RMB 50 billion. Annual production of industrial robots will exceed 180,000 units.

On April 26, the Fifth Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Conference, together with the 2023 Members’ General Meeting of the Guangdong Robotics Association, released the “2023 Guangdong Province Robotics Industry Development Report,” which revealed that, In 2023, Guangdong Province’s industrial robot output reached 168,800 units, maintaining its position as the nation’s top producer for the fourth consecutive year.

In the first half of this year, Guangdong’s industrial robot output increased by 37.6% year on year, contributing to the province’s overall economic growth.

From the central government to local authorities, the robotics industry is being vigorously promoted at every level.

According to data from Qichacha, the number of robot-related enterprises nationwide has now exceeded one million.

In addition, numerous robotics industrial parks are either under construction or have already been established across various regions. As of July 2024, China has more than 100 robotics-related industrial parks, with the Yangtze River Delta—particularly Jiangsu—leading the nation in the number of such parks.

Secondly, labor shortages and rising labor costs have turned the substitution of machines for humans from a “nice-to-have” into an “essential necessity.”

According to the data from the seventh national census in 2020, the number of employees in the manufacturing sector was approximately 114 million, accounting for about 27% of all employed persons (excluding agriculture). The population decreased by more than 20 million compared with the end of 2010, and the proportion fell by 10 percentage points.

Furthermore, according to the annual sample survey results released by the National Bureau of Statistics, In China, the proportion of the population aged 20–40 who are suited to manufacturing jobs is steadily declining, and this age group is increasingly reluctant to take up manufacturing positions that demand significant physical labor.

At the same time, it is also grappling with the issue of an aging population. As of the end of 2023, the nationwide population aged 60 and above totaled 296.97 million, accounting for 21.1% of the total population.

Meanwhile, China’s labor costs continue to rise, According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, between 2013 and 2020, the average wages of employees in manufacturing enterprises above designated size engaged in production and transportation equipment operation, as well as related personnel, increased by 59.60%.

Various factors have made “machines replacing humans” an inevitable trend.

Furthermore, advances in machine vision, sensors, heavy-load technologies, welding techniques, AI and 3D vision, and embodied intelligence are driving the evolution of industrial robotics.

Take heavy-load technology as an example: heavy-load robots have been increasingly deployed in applications such as heavy‑load handling, palletizing, and grinding.

As of 2023, collaborative robots with payloads of 10 kg or more have captured over 40% of the market share, while those with payloads of 15 kg or more account for nearly 20%.

Rongyu Intelligent has developed a system with a payload (including the carrier) of 25–35 kg. RYBOSS-20 Two RYBOSS-40 intelligent collaborative palletizing robots, capable of handling loads (including the carrier) of 40–50 kg, Pile shapes and stacking layers can be configured arbitrarily, with a maximum stack height of 2.5 meters.

Finally, China is the world’s largest market for industrial robot applications, with its share of global installed capacity steadily rising and sales continuously hitting new highs. Its promising market prospects have attracted numerous companies to enter the sector.

According to data from Qichacha, At present, China has approximately 484,000 enterprises engaged in the industrial robotics sector. Among them, more than 98,000 new enterprises were registered in 2023, an increase of 57,000 compared to the 41,000 registered in 2020.

Under the combined influence of policy guidance, labor factors, technology, market dynamics, and other variables, China’s industrial robotics industry is thriving.

Insights into the Future

— Trends in the Development of Industrial Robots

Intelligentization driven by both internal and external forces. External intelligence primarily relies on external devices to make intelligent decisions, which in turn drive the execution of industrial robots, such as visual inspection and visual positioning. In contrast, internal intelligence involves the inherent smartification of core components, as well as the intelligent coordination and operation of the system as a whole—for example, using AI algorithms to monitor the robot’s own operational state and predict the status of its upcoming tasks.

Platformization that better aligns with scenarios and user needs. With the rapid development of the manufacturing sector, enterprises’ demand for industrial robots is becoming increasingly diversified. Platformization—also known as standardization—refers to the ability of robotic systems to be versatile, scalable, and reconfigurable. To achieve this, industrial robot platforms must feature standardized interfaces and protocols, enabling seamless integration and interconnection with a wide range of devices and systems, while allowing for the addition of new functional modules, sensors, and other components as needed.

Adapting to the refined approach of high-quality development. As demands for product quality and precision continue to rise, industrial robots must deliver enhanced accuracy and stability to meet production requirements. For instance, advanced sensors and controllers enable precise motion control and positioning, thereby improving both production accuracy and operational reliability.

The ability to rapidly adapt to flexible production of diverse products. The diversification and personalization of market demand have rendered traditional fixed‑type, single‑product production lines inadequate for the needs of modern manufacturing. Consequently, flexible manufacturing has emerged as a key pillar in the industry’s transformation and upgrading. “Position vs. Functional Scenarios vs. Interaction and Programming” is central to how industrial robots enable flexible production—enabling variable positioning, adaptable functional scenarios, and lower barriers to interaction and programming.

Reference:

1. Forward-looking Industry Research Institute: Anticipating 2024 — “2024 China Industrial Robotics Industry Panorama” (including market size, competitive landscape, and future prospects)

2. 21st Century Business Herald: The “2023 Guangdong Province Robotics Industry Development Report” has been released, with Guangdong emerging as the largest domestic hub for the intelligent robotics industry.

3.  Huafu Securities: In-depth Report on the Machinery Industry—Industrial Robots: Growth and Cyclical Momentum in Sync, Accelerating Domestic Substitution of Industrial Robots

4. International Federation of Robotics (IFR): “World Robotics Report 2024”

5. 2024 Outlook: “2024 China Industrial Robotics Industry Panorama” (including market size, competitive landscape, and future prospects)

6. 2023 China Industrial Robotics Industry Research Report

*Report Download: Please scan the two QR codes below.

1. “In-depth Report on Industrial Robots in the Machinery Industry: Growth and Cyclical Resonance Accelerate Domestic Substitution of Industrial Robots”

2. “2024 World Robotics Report”