Shanghai will establish a demonstration zone to showcase the applications of intelligent robotics in the city’s Lingang area.
At a conference on the smart robotic industry, held on November 14, Wu Xiaohua, an official with the Lin-Gang Special Area authorities, said the area will continue to cement its foundation in smart robotics, on the back of 10 pillars.
They include robot, AI chip, key AI technologies, core parts, computing power, use case, R&D platform, industrial fund, college and research institute and industrial park.
Wu somehow did not specify how the authorities would go about cultivating the industry.
Lingang, covering an area of 873 square km, targets smart robotics as a key aspect of its focus on developing an AI sector.
The area is now home to a cluster of high-tech firms, comprising close to 40 robotics-related companies throughout the industrial chain and spanning four categories.
They range from general to industrial robotics, and from service and specialized droids to AI technologies.
Shanghai gearing up for robot aspirations
Shanghai’s tech officials have been shifting it into high gear in their drive to tap the city’s robotics space, which is one of the most prosperous nationwide, alongside those in Shenzhen and Beijing.
In October this year, the city announced an action plan aimed at fostering innovation in smart robotics from 2023 to 2025.
By the end of 2025, the city is to boast 10 leading robotic businesses, 100 exemplary robotic application scenarios, and a robotic industry valued at 100 billion yuan (US$13.78 billion), according to the plan.
In line with Shanghai’s policy boost, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued a set of guidelines concerning the humanoid robot segment.
As a blend of AI, advanced manufacturing, new materials and other cutting-edge technologies, humanoid robotics is tipped to become another disruptive product after computer, smartphone and new energy vehicle, the guidelines state.
