Data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology indicates that a group of industries with international competitive advantages in China are accelerating their growth. In the field of intelligent robotics, domestically developed quadruped robots account for nearly 70% of the global market share by sales volume, while humanoid robot complete products exceed 400 models, representing over half of the global total.
The figures show that in the first half of the year, the equipment manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing industries continued to strengthen, with their respective shares in the industrial added value increasing by 1.9 and 0.9 percentage points compared to the first quarter. New quality productive forces are being cultivated and expanded at a faster pace, with the output of industrial robots and service robots increasing by 28% and 11.9% year-on-year, respectively.
The intelligent transformation of domestic manufacturing is progressing steadily. To date, over 56,000 foundational-level, more than 9,000 advanced-level, and over 500 leading-level smart factories have been built, with 15 pioneering-level smart factories being cultivated.
With the implementation of the "Robot+" initiative, various smart devices are continuously penetrating diverse scenarios. Inspection robots are being deployed in mines and high-voltage tunnel operations, while industrial robots are being applied in batches on automotive welding lines. Many high-risk positions involving high temperatures, heights, or exposure to toxic and hazardous substances are gradually being replaced by robots, effectively reducing risks for frontline operations.
Regionally, the Yangtze River Delta region leads the industry due to its advantages in a complete industrial chain. Different areas are pursuing differentiated development paths based on their unique resources.
Statistics from Hangzhou Customs reveal that in the first half of the year, the export value of various robots, including industrial robots, from Zhejiang Province exceeded 1 billion yuan. Among these, exports of intelligent bionic robots surpassed 400 million yuan, accounting for approximately 60% of the national total. Zhejiang has now established a robotics industry ecosystem covering R&D design, core component production, complete machine assembly, software enablement, scenario implementation, and foreign trade exports. Hangzhou alone has gathered over 700 upstream and downstream enterprises related to robot R&D, parts manufacturing, software algorithms, and application scenarios.
Meanwhile, Shanghai is continuously improving its local mass production supporting infrastructure to address the gaps in the intermediate stages from R&D to large-scale production. The pilot public service platform of the National-Local Co-built Humanoid Robot Innovation Center has been officially launched. Located in the Zhangjiang Robot Valley in Shanghai's Pudong district, this platform establishes an integrated pilot closed loop encompassing R&D trial production, precision assembly, comprehensive testing, and warehousing and delivery, with an annual capacity of 2,000 complete machines and 2,000 sets of core precision components.
This platform will provide key support for Pudong's embodied intelligence industry from R&D to mass production, effectively reducing the costs of establishing R&D production lines, accumulating standard processes and measured data, and aiding the cluster development of related industries in the Yangtze River Delta.
At a recent strategy meeting, Li Zhichao, a thematic researcher and senior investment advisor, provided a professional analysis on the "humanoid robot" sector, covering the current industry status, future trends, risks, and opportunities for investors.
Li Zhichao pointed out that China's humanoid robot industry currently possesses prominent advantages, with domestic manufacturers collectively holding 74% to 90% of the global market share, supported by a complete and mature upstream and downstream industrial chain.
Guojin Securities notes that 2026 is a critical node for the initial realization of humanoid robots. The Tesla supply chain is expected to release its first-generation mass-produced product within the year, and with the completion of large-scale production line construction in the supply chain, large-scale mass production is expected to officially commence.
The shipment volume of leading domestic complete machine manufacturers is anticipated to leap from several thousand units to tens of thousands of units. Application scenarios will primarily come from entertainment and commercial performances, scientific research and education, data collection, and guided tours and shopping. At this stage, the supply chains and technologies of leading companies are expected to converge. The world is poised to enter a robotics "arms race."
Wanlian Securities believes that the humanoid robot industry is currently at a dawn moment transitioning from technological breakthroughs to large-scale commercialization. On the supply side, companies like Tesla, Unitree Robotics, Zhiyuan Robotics, and UBTECH are steadily advancing their mass production schedules. On the demand side, population aging and rising labor costs form a long-term driving force, making 2026 a critical window for mass production verification and scenario implementation.
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