China’s massive investment in industrial robotics has put the country higher in the global rankings of robot density, surpassing the United States for the first time and marking a significant improvement in the country’s industrial automation level, an industry report said. Experts said research and development (R&D), manufacturing and application of robots have been used as indicators to measure a country’s scientific and technological innovation and high-end manufacturing level. China’s burgeoning robotics industry is playing an increasingly important role in speeding up the intelligent transformation of the manufacturing sector. China is by far the fastest-growing robot market in the world, with the highest number of annual installations, and it has had the largest operational number of robots each year since 2016, according to the World Robotics 2022 Report by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).
The number of operational industrial robots relative to the number of workers hit 322 units per 10,000 employees in China’s manufacturing industry in 2021, ranking fifth across the globe, the report said. “Robot density is a key indicator of the adoption of automation in the manufacturing industry around the world,” said Marina Bill, President of the IFR. “The new average of global robot density in the manufacturing industry surged to 141 robots per 10,000 employees, more than double the number six years ago.” China’s rapid growth shows the power of its investment so far, but it still has much space to automate, Bill said. In 2021, the world’s top five most automated countries in manufacturing were South Korea, Singapore, Japan, Germany and China. Meanwhile, robot density in the U.S. rose from 255 units in 2020 to 274 units in 2021, and the country ranks ninth in the world, down from seventh. As one of China’s strategic emerging industries, the robotics sector has made remarkable achievements in recent years. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the output of China’s industrial robots hit a record 366,000 units in 2021, surging 68% year-on-year. “Robots are the key equipment to achieve intelligent manufacturing, and have become an increasingly indispensable part in smart factories,” said Tao Yong, Professor of Robotics at Beihang University in Beijing, adding that the world’s major developed countries have stepped up the push for R&D of core technologies related to high-end robots. Tao said robots are playing a critical role in driving the intelligent transformation and upgrading of the traditional manufacturing industry. For instance, an increasing number of companies are applying industrial robots to boost operational reliability and reduce costs.
According to the Chinese Institute of Electronics, the country’s robotics market is expected to reach USD17.4 billion in 2022, with a five-year average annual growth rate of 22%. The country’s industrial robot market is projected to be valued at USD8.7 billion by the end of this year, the China Daily reports.
