Jiading has emerged as a focal point in China's push for new quality productive forces, and its industrial vitality is on full display at the iRIC Smart Manufacturing and Robotics International Innovation Center in Nanxiang. The center has recently expanded its footprint, activating the entire Building 3. The ground floor now houses an interactive experience hall that opened its doors in July, while floors two through six have been handed over to incoming tenants, with some spaces still being fitted out. This expansion comes as the center has successfully attracted 110 companies from across the smart manufacturing and robotics supply chain, amplifying the cluster effect and driving a surge of innovation among its residents.
Step into the newly opened interactive hall, and you'll encounter a showcase of technological prowess: soccer-playing robots scoring goals with pinpoint accuracy on a simulated pitch, obstacle-climbing robots navigating complex terrain with ease, and a brain-controlled zone where visitors can command devices with their thoughts for an immersive, "think it and it happens" experience. This new venue complements the existing A (Industry) and B (Technology) halls in Building 2, with a fresh focus on interactivity and hands-on demonstrations of cutting-edge embodied intelligence and robotics products. The park's hardware infrastructure is also expanding, with plans for 3,000 square meters of professional industrial space, including a 1,000-square-meter indoor exhibition hall and a 2,000-square-meter outdoor training ground for embodied intelligence applications.
The physical upgrades are ultimately designed to accelerate business growth, and tenants are already feeling the impact. Shanghai Chuanhe Future Intelligent Technology, a company specializing in robot secondary development, leasing, and commercial performance services, is a prime example. With a fleet of over 20 robots, the company hit a monthly revenue of one million yuan within just two to three months of operation, establishing itself as a leading player in Shanghai's commercial performance sector. CEO Li Chuanming notes that monthly turnover has stabilized at around one million yuan. "Once the company got on track, we signed a new office lease in Building 3," he says. "The park's industrial cluster effect and talent pool are incredibly strong support for a fast-growing company like ours." He credits the center's free labs, training grounds, and exhibition platforms as invaluable assets for any startup team.
The center's aggressive recruitment strategy is also paying dividends. Since 2026, it has doubled down on "scenario-based" and "demand-driven" investment attraction, targeting high-growth areas like embodied intelligence, core robotics hardware, and AI applications. "In the first quarter alone, we welcomed over 15 new companies, including the R&D planning divisions of listed firms and the headquarters of enterprises with annual output exceeding 100 million yuan," says Gao Fei, Industry Director at the center. "Our goal for the year is to bring in nearly 50 companies, with about 30% being industry leaders or chain-owner enterprises."
The influx of companies is matched by the maturation of the ecosystem. Take Robotic Plus (Luoshi Robot), which went public on July 9. Its R&D center has been based here since September 2024. Over its decade-plus history, the company has built a complete technology stack covering control systems, core algorithms, key components, robot bodies, and embodied AI models. In the first half of this year, multiple embodied intelligence products have moved from its Shanghai R&D center to the market, and the company has amassed orders for over 10,000 units, with a team of nearly 250 researchers. "The innovation center offers us joint training programs with universities and robotics research institutes," explains Shen Wang, Business Manager at Robotic Plus (Shanghai). "This not only supplies us with talent but also provides strong support for our layout and development of new products in the embodied intelligence field."
Shanghai Luoshi Robot, a two-year resident of the park, is celebrating a major milestone with the start of deliveries for its new product. This embodied intelligence hardware platform, designed for research institutions and universities, flexibly integrates robotic arms, chassis, navigation systems, and sensors to help researchers rapidly validate algorithms. Since deliveries began in June, the platform has been shipped to Tongji University, Sun Yat-sen University, and Shanghai University, among others, with sales exceeding one million yuan in the past month. Founder Chen Jingxiong says the responsive supply chain and dense concentration of talent are key draws. "Teams on different floors are constantly interacting and exchanging ideas, and these collisions often spark new inspirations," he says, adding that this dynamic, collaborative atmosphere is a primary reason he chose to establish the company here.
The collective strength of the cluster was on full display at this year's World Artificial Intelligence Conference, where three resident companies—Robotic Plus, Dahong Robotics, and Kuaiwei Intelligence—showcased their innovations on the same stage, representing Jiading's creative force. From leading listed companies to high-growth startups, and from core components to whole-machine integration and application scenarios, these companies are weaving a dense ecosystem that covers every critical link in the industry chain.
Beyond providing office space, the center offers two crucial forms of support: technical R&D resources and industrial capital connections. Leveraging the research capabilities of Shanghai University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the Shanghai Robotics Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, and Osaka University, the center helps resident companies forge technical partnerships, joint talent training programs, and R&D procurement channels. Gao Fei notes that these universities' research strengths span the spectrum from core algorithms to application scenarios. "When a company has a technical need, we make the introductions—it's far more efficient than them doing it alone."
On the financial side, the center manages a 100-million-yuan dedicated robotics fund and connects with partner funds totaling over 8 billion yuan, covering everything from angel investment to venture capital and private equity. Regular closed-door financing matchmaking events bring industrial capital and startup teams face-to-face. Since launching operations in July 2023, the center has amassed 110 companies spanning six key areas: humanoid robots, industrial robots, special-purpose robots, core components, AI simulation algorithms, and scenario integration. From upstream lightweight robots and electric servo grippers, to midstream collaborative and medical robots, to embodied humanoid robots and application integrators, the park has essentially formed a full industrial chain: "core components—whole-machine R&D—algorithm simulation—scenario implementation." For companies, the most tangible benefit is that finding suppliers, testing prototypes, and discussing deals can all happen without leaving the park. One company head sums it up with a metaphor: "In the past, we'd have to travel to other cities; now, we just knock on the door upstairs or downstairs."
The center is also actively integrating application scenarios from listed companies and state-owned enterprises, and collaborating with industry leaders to create business opportunities for its tenants. This is complemented by Jiading District's dedicated policy support for the smart manufacturing and robotics industry. Looking ahead, Gao Fei says the center will continue to optimize its services, leverage district-level policy resources, and refine its industrial support systems. "The goal," he says, "is to make sure resident companies not only want to stay here but can truly grow and scale up."
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