The 23rd China International Industry Fair opened today in Shanghai after a hiatus of three years due to lockdown measures induced by China’s zero-Covid policy since 2020.
This year’s fair, under the theme of digital economy and low-carbon industry, will run through September 23 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai.
The event has drawn more than 2,800 manufacturers from 30 countries and areas to showcase their technologies and innovations within a 300,000-sqm exhibition space.
This year, as many media journalists have discovered, booths run by EV makers and environmental materials companies are more numerous than before.
Even traditional industrial companies have eagerly jumped on the bandwagon of environment-friendly development.
JAKA, a Shanghai-based robot company, has been a leader in developing cobot products for industrial and consumer-grade application, said Wang Lei, the company’s PR and marketing manager.
Aside from physical robots, the company has rolled out a SaaS-like platform that monitors and shows key operational data generated by the cobots, ranging from temperature to speed to rotation.
By analyzing overall real-time energy consumption, the platform helps users better manage production with higher precision and slash carbon emissions.
Fast expansion of robots, cobots
Industrial robot is a front where China has made significant inroads over the past few years.
Industry research institute Marketing Intelligence Resource (MIR) pointed out that China’s industrial robot sales exceeded 280,000 units in 2022, up 10% year on year.
Between 2012 and 2022, the sector grew at a CAGR of 26%, with sales jumping tenfold in the space of 10 years.
The revenue of China’s homegrown industrial robots grew 22% in 2022, way outpacing foreign brands at 4%. Their market share has risen to 35%.
In 2022 to 2025, cobots are projected to hit a compound growth rate of 30%, way ahead of other industrial robot segments.
Shanghai’s central role
Shanghai, as a robot hub, occupies a central position in China’s drive to move up the value chain in industrial robot, cobot and related applications.
“Shanghai’s robot industrial chain is among the nation’s most complete,” said Lu Hanchen, director of GGII, a robot and automation-focused industry intelligence provider.
Lu added Shanghai is home to the regional head offices of a large number of international robot producers such as ABB, Fanuc and Yaskawa.
“Whether it is the settling down of global manufacturers or incubation of homegrown robot developers, Shanghai has a solid foundation and experience.”
