Robots


Industrial Robots


There were 4.3 million industrial robots in 2023. Japan was the world’s largest producer, with about 40-45% of the total. 


China remains the largest market, with 276,288 robots installed in 2023, accounting for 51% of global installations. in 2023. China installed more robots than the rest of the world combined.


China’s “robot density,” the number of robots per 100,000 manufacturing workers, is 60% higher than in the U.S. This is more impressive since China's labor force is about four times larger than America's.


The technology to produce robots is related to the technology to produce artificial intelligence (AI), sensors, advanced computer chips and applications, telecomm systems, electric vehicles and batteries. 


China to Invest 1 Trillion Yuan, about $140 billion, in Robotics and High-Tech Industries. China’s National People's Congress announced a new venture capital fund.


March 25, 2025 — China’s National Development and Reform Commission has announced a state-backed venture capital fund focused on robotics, AI and cutting-edge innovation. The long-term fund is expected to attract nearly 1 trillion yuan (US$138 billion) in capital from local governments and the private sector over 20 years. This initiative aims to continue China's technology-driven success story in manufacturing: In the last ten years, the country's global share of industrial robot installations has risen from around one-fifth to more than half of the world's total demand.


Developing robotic and AI systems will be crucial for China because of an expected massive decrease in its labor force and need for humanoid robots for its very large and rapidly increase number of retired people. In America, the driving force will be more to increase the productivity of all organizations and their manufacturing and office workers.


Humanoid Robotics


The competition for supremacy in the humanoid robotics industry is hugely important. The still-nascent sector could be worth more than $200bn in ten years, and as many as 3bn robots could be walking among us by 2060, according to forecasts from Goldman Sachs and Bank of America. China, not America, seems to be pulling ahead: many of the parts for humanoid robots are already found in China’s electric-vehicle supply chain. Which country ultimately wins may come down to who harnesses data better and produces superior components, such as semiconductors.


The Economist, “China’s Robotic Sprint,” April 19, 2025


21 Chinese humanoid robots took part in a half-marathon (13 miles) in Beijing recently. Three didn’t start. Of the remaining 18, six finished.


U.S. startups are also developing humanoid robots. Used to do household tasks and as companions in nursing homes. Japan seems to be in the lead in these types of service robots. Substitutes for immigrants to care for a large older population.


China has produced a robotic pony; Japan has produced a robotic dog, as has the U.S. firm Boston Dynamics. These are probably a demographic play, aimed at families with no children or one child.


 


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