The 2025 Shanghai Robotics Exhibition (RS) will highlight intelligent connectivity and collaborative win-win outcomes.
Exhibition Hall Floor Plan
[Source: Exhibition website]
On-site Guide to the 2025 Shanghai Robot Exhibition (RS 2025)
The 2025 China Shanghai Robot Exhibition (RS2025) was held for five days from September 23rd to 27th at the Shanghai Hongqiao National Exhibition and Convention Center. The robot exhibition, first held in 2012, has evolved over the past decade from being a sub-exhibition under the China International Industry Fair (CIIF) to an independent exhibition, showcasing the latest technologies and trends in the Chinese and global robotics industries.
As one of the world's largest robotics exhibitions, the number of companies participating and visitors seeking to understand trends in the Chinese robotics industry is growing every year. The 2025 Robot Exhibition was held in two halls, Halls 7.1H and 8.1H, of the Hongqiao National Exhibition and Convention Center. Hall 7.1 primarily featured booths from Chinese companies, while Hall 8.1 featured international companies from Japan, Germany, and Switzerland. This year's exhibition focuses on "AI Enablement," showcasing a wide range of examples of AI technology being applied to the robotics industry and aiming to achieve the deep integration of AI and robotics.
The Current State of China's Robot Industry and Its Future, According to RS
The China Robot Exhibition RS 2025 took the “14th Five-Year Plan for Robot Industry Development” and the “Robot+ Application Action Plan” as its core policy guidelines to present the next-generation development direction of the robot industry. The exhibition organizers stated their goal of expanding cases of large-scale application of robot technology in major industries such as automobiles, electrical and mechanical engineering, light industry, textiles, construction, and medicine, and thereby leading the new growth trend of robots and smart technologies. In particular, with humanoid robots being defined as “representative innovative products,” systematic cultivation of the entire industrial ecosystem is being promoted based on the “Guiding Opinions on Humanoid Robot Innovation and Development.” To achieve this, RS 2025 emphasized the establishment of a full-cycle industrial ecosystem by establishing core component manufacturing companies as upstream, humanoid robot body manufacturing companies as midstream, and actual application fields as downstream.
On the technological front, China's robotics industry is rapidly achieving performance optimization through the convergence of AI and precision processing technology. For example, Eft's SCIMC, the world's first SIM card-integrated motion controller, is a dedicated control platform for smart robots, demonstrating that Chinese robotics technology is moving beyond simple, repetitive tasks and into complex, sophisticated processing areas. These technological advancements symbolize China's advancement into advanced robotics.
The scope of application is also expanding significantly. Medical surgical robots and guide and delivery robots for hotels and restaurants have already been commercialized in earnest, and cleaning and companion robots are also showing steady growth in the personal consumer market. UBTECH's Walker robot, for example, is equipped with multi-sensory systems, including strength, vision, hearing, and spatial awareness, enabling it to perform tasks accurately in home and office environments, practically realizing the "entry of robots into everyday life." This is a notable example of the accelerating transformation of robots into every aspect of our lives.
Looking at the market outlook, China's vast domestic market offers an environment where efficient and cost-effective automation solutions can be rapidly tested. The technologies and business models developed through this process are highly likely to spread to the global market, particularly in emerging markets. In particular, China's robotics companies are expected to further expand their global presence, fueled by cost efficiency and mass production capabilities.
In terms of technological prospects, China's unique rapid iterative development cycle and massive data accumulation are serving as key competitive advantages in the AI robotics sector. Consequently, China is highly likely to secure a leading position in humanoid robots, a key next-generation industry. Combining AI-based intelligent control, human-robot interaction technology, and complex sensor fusion capabilities, China's robotics industry is expected to leap forward and set new standards in the global market.
In summary, RS 2025 is not just an exhibition; it serves as a testing ground and blueprint for China's strategic future in the robotics industry. With technological advancements, application diversification, market expansion, and the strengthening of AI-driven humanoid robot competitiveness, China's robotics industry is increasingly poised to assume a leading position in the global market.
China's Robot Industry Market Size and Trends
According to China Government.com, China's industrial robot production will surge from 33,000 sets in 2015 to 556,000 sets in 2024. In the same year, service robot production will also reach 10.519 million sets, solidifying China's position as the world's largest robot producer. The overall market size of China's robot industry is projected to reach 1412 billion yuan in 2024, an 18.3% increase year-on-year. This growth demonstrates that the robotics industry is firmly established as a national strategic industry, driven by government-led industrial development and private sector technological innovation.
The humanoid robot market is also expanding rapidly. According to the "2024-2029 China Humanoid Robot Industry Chain Research Report," the size of the Chinese humanoid robot market is estimated at 2.76 billion yuan in 2024. The report projects that the market will reach 75 billion yuan in 2029 and exceed 300 billion yuan in 2035. This outlook reflects not only the current rapid growth but also future technological innovation, government support policies, and continued expansion of application fields.
China's Humanoid Robot Market Size Trends 2024-2035
(Unit: billion yuan)
[Source: China Industry Information Network (中研普华)]
Investment/Financing Status in China's Humanoid Industry, 2019-2024
(Unit: Investment-cases/Loans-billion yuan)
Leveraging its vast domestic market, proactive government support, and rapid technological development, China has established a solid position in the existing industrial robotics sector. It is also striving to secure leadership in the humanoid robot market, a key future industry. While some areas, such as core components, remain vulnerable, the pace of growth and the drive for innovation within the overall industrial ecosystem are already attracting global attention.
On September 24, 2025, the 11th China Robot Summit Forum and the 8th CEO Roundtable were held under the theme of "AI+Robots: New Opportunities in a Multidisciplinary Landscape." This forum brought together a large number of domestic and international academic experts, global business leaders, and industry elites. They engaged in in-depth discussions on overcoming stagnation in the robotics industry, the direction of robotics technology innovation, and the practical application potential of robotics in diverse application fields. In particular, the forum was evaluated as a venue for presenting a blueprint for future industrial development by identifying new growth paths through the convergence of AI and robotics and sharing specific support measures to enhance productivity and support high-quality robot production in China's robotics industry.
This series of discussions and announcements clearly demonstrates China's commitment to sustainable growth across the robotics industry and to strengthening its global competitiveness through technological innovation.
<Overseas companies participating in the exhibition>
[Source: KOTRA Shanghai Trade Center]
On-site Interview 1: Official from Chinese Company A
Q1: What products were showcased at this exhibition?
A1: Industrial robot components are our company's main products. High-precision reducers and joint motors, in particular, are the main products showcased at this exhibition.
Q2: Are there any new products or strategies that are different from previous exhibitions?
A2: While the humanoid robot industry is an inevitable development trend, we believe it's still in its infancy in China. To secure market share, this exhibition will feature components such as small humanoid robot joint motors, surgical robot precision reducers, and single-arm/double-arm composite robot joint motors. These components are already ready for mass production.
Q3: Are you willing to collaborate with Korean companies?
A3: I believe Korea possesses highly mature technologies in cutting-edge fields, including the robotics industry. If the opportunity arises, I would like to collaborate and engage in technological exchanges within a framework supported by the government.
On-site Interview 2: Official from Korean Company B
Q1: What products were showcased at this exhibition? What products drew the most attention from visitors?
A1: Products on display included electronic small robots, robot controllers, and industrial robots. Among these, controllers and small industrial robots are attracting the most attention.
Q2: What are the special strengths of your product?
A2: Our company's strengths lie in the fact that our products enhance user convenience through features like fault prediction and maintenance information recognition via a data network system. Furthermore, the system's compatibility with various robots and devices makes it highly adaptable. Our after-sales service is also excellent, ensuring worry-free use for our customers.
Humanoid robots at the exhibition
[Source: KOTRA Shanghai Trade Center]
implication
RS 2025 went beyond a mere technology exhibition and established itself as a significant indicator of the changing landscape of the global robotics industry. It clearly demonstrated China's emergence as a powerful force in an industry previously dominated by Japan and Europe. Furthermore, the focus of technological competition has rapidly shifted from hardware performance to AI integration and real-world integration. This suggests that the robotics industry is expanding beyond mere mechanical perfection to encompass intelligent, data-driven service capabilities.
Of particular note is the integration of China's AI modeling capabilities with actual robotics platforms. Software advantages, such as natural language command recognition and complex environmental assessment, are partially compensating for hardware's limited precision, creating new value. This trend demonstrates that Chinese robotics companies can leverage AI technology to break away from traditional hardware-centric competition and secure a differentiated competitive edge.
However, structural limitations are also evident. In key, top-tier components like high-precision reducers and high-performance AI chips, China remains heavily reliant on foreign technology from countries like Japan, Germany, and the United States. To transition from quantitative growth to qualitative leadership, China is focusing on self-sufficiency and advancement of core components. In the medium to long term, national investment and continuous technological innovation at the corporate level are expected to go hand in hand. Meanwhile, numerous Chinese robotics companies are engaging in fierce price competition in the vast domestic market, increasing the risk of deteriorating profitability across the industry.
Looking at the global market outlook, the high-end market is expected to remain dominated by the four major Japanese and European players—FANUC, YASKAWA, KUKA, and ABB. Consequently, Chinese companies are likely to face fierce competition in the mid-priced market, and it will be difficult to secure a sustainable competitive advantage solely through the sale of robot hardware. In this environment, the ability to provide integrated solutions encompassing peripherals, software, and data platforms, along with the development of emerging markets, is emerging as a key competitive advantage.
Ultimately, integration with AI technology is becoming essential for corporate survival, requiring either in-house AI research labs or strategic partnerships with large AI companies. This exhibition particularly demonstrated that humanoid robots have evolved beyond the R&D phase and into a stage where they can be applied in real-world industrial and service settings. As competition for the commercialization of humanoid robots intensifies, the pace of innovation across the robotics industry is expected to accelerate further.
This global trend also offers several strategic implications for Korean companies. First, as China accelerates the convergence of AI-based robotics, Korean companies need to strengthen their technological differentiation in high-value-added core components such as high-precision components, sensors, and controllers, thereby expanding collaboration with the Chinese and global robotics ecosystems. Furthermore, going beyond simple hardware supply, they must secure integrated solution capabilities that combine AI algorithms, data analysis, and robot operation platforms to maintain sustainable competitiveness in both the Chinese domestic market and emerging markets.
Source: 2025 Shanghai Robot Exhibition website, China Industry Information Network, KOTRA Shanghai Trade Center