“China has succeeded in upgrading its manufacturing industry at an unprecedented pace. Based on its national robotics strategy released in December 2021, the country has set an example of how to strengthen competitiveness systematically.”
BERLIN, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) — China has surged forward in manufacturing automation and is now spearheading development within the world robotics trade, Takayuki Ito, president of the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), advised Xinhua in a current unique interview, highlighting the nation’s unprecedented tempo in increasing its industrial robotic fleet and modernizing factories.
“China has succeeded in upgrading its manufacturing industry at an unprecedented pace. Based on its national robotics strategy released in December 2021, the country has set an example of how to strengthen competitiveness systematically,” Ito stated.
“The robot stock doubled within three years, surpassing 1 million units in 2021 and reaching 2 million units in 2024 — the largest robot stock worldwide,” he added, describing the progress as a exceptional achievement reflecting coverage continuity and industrial ambition.
The IFR, based mostly in Frankfurt, Germany, represents world robotics producers and analysis institutes, offering trade knowledge, requirements and steering for the event of robotics worldwide. Each yr, it publishes the World Robotics Report, a key reference for world automation developments.
According to the newly launched 2025 report, world industrial robotic installations amounted to 542,000 models in 2024, greater than double the determine a decade in the past. Asia remained the dominant market, accounting for 74 p.c of all new robotic deployments, in contrast with 16 p.c in Europe and 9 p.c within the Americas.
China continued to guide the worldwide market, with its industrial robotic stock surpassing 2 million models in 2024 — greater than half of the world’s complete. Annual installations rose 7 p.c from 2023 to a report 295,000 models, underscoring the nation’s sturdy momentum in automation and manufacturing modernization.
The figures, he stated, mirror China’s main position in shaping the next-generation world manufacturing panorama. Chinese producers are setting new requirements in automation by opening up new markets, integrating software program, and enhancing manufacturing effectivity, moderately than merely following world developments.
“Chinese robot makers sold more units at home than foreign competitors for the first time in 2024, with their market share rising to 57 percent from 47 percent in 2023,” Ito stated. “Growth is not limited to a few sectors — food processing, textiles, and wood products are also seeing rapid robot adoption.”
He cited 83,000 models put in in China’s electrical and electronics sector in 2024, which accounted for 64 p.c of the worldwide installations on this trade, with the automotive sector following with 57,200 models. “Chinese suppliers are now supplying many of these industries domestically while gradually increasing their international footprint,” he added.
Ito, who has visited China a number of instances lately, made his most up-to-date journey in August to attend the World Robot Conference in Beijing, the place he noticed robots being broadly utilized in factories and labs, and even smaller producers have been effectively adopting superior automation options.
Ito additionally noticed a rising give attention to humanoid robots, a section he expects to increase quickly within the coming years.
On challenges forward, Ito acknowledged that China nonetheless faces gaps, noting that robotic exports stay restricted and plenty of new entrants within the home market might wrestle to outlive. “However, the progress is remarkable, and with increasing R&D investment, these gaps are expected to close rapidly.”
On world cooperation, Ito harassed that China and conventional robotics powers comparable to Germany and Japan have complementary strengths.
He stated that leveraging these strengths by way of collaboration can speed up world industrial upgrading and ship win-win outcomes.
Looking forward, Ito stated the worldwide robotics market will preserve sturdy development, with worldwide installations projected to rise 6 p.c to 575,000 models in 2025 and surpass 700,000 models by 2028.
China will proceed to drive development within the robotics sector, Ito stated, noting that the nation’s progress isn’t just about numbers however is reworking factories into hubs of world innovation.