If China has its way, the country will become one of the top 10 most automated nations—by way of industrial robots—by 2020.
By this time, China’s robot density is targeted to rise to 150 units (150 units per 10,000 employees.) In 2015, the country’s robot density was 36 units, which places it at 28th in the world as of now, according to the World Robot Statistics, issued by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). China has set out to increase annual sales of domestically-produced industrial robots to 100,000 units by 2020, according to Wang Ruixiang, President of the China Machinery Industry Federation, who said this at the recent the "China International Summit of Robot Industry" in Shanghai.
The Chinese market for industrial robots, according to a press release from the IFR, continues to be strongly influenced by imports, as foreign manufacturers make up a market share of 69%. Domestic competitors are increasing their market share significantly though, as sales volumes posted by Chinese manufacturers have risen 25% in 2013 to 3% in the most recently-released statistics. Beijing’s government is promoting the expanded use of automation through its reform agenda entitled "Made in China 2025".
At the recent IFR CEO Round Table in Munich, Dr. Daokui Qu, CEO of the Chinese robot maker Siasun, commented on the potential dramatic increase of domestic manufacturers in the near future.
"By the end of 2020, I reckon that the share of the domestic market enjoyed by Chinese robotic manufacturers could well increase to 50 percent.”
As of last year, Asia had the world’s highest sales figures for robotics at 156,000 units, which represents a 16% increase over the previous year. The region's largest individual markets were China (67,000 units), followed by South Korea (37,000 units) and Japan (35,000 units). China,South Korea, Japan, the United States, and Germany account for around three quarters of global robot sales.
"Digital information and automation will continue to drive the success story of robotics - it really is a transformation", said Joe Gemma, President of the International Federation of Robotics. "It is driven in particular by industry 4.0, the industrial internet of things and services."
View talks from the recent IFR CEO Round Table here.
View more information on the IFR here.
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