As an important part of “machine substitution”, industrial robots have been increasingly valued by more and more domestic manufacturers in recent years. Under the dual stimulus of the "Made in China 2025" strategy and the structural shortage of the labor market, China's robotics industry has entered a period of rapid growth. Since 2013, China has become the world's largest consumer market for industrial robots, and it has remained so far. At present, China's industrial robots have formed four major industrial agglomerations in the Bohai Sea, the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta and the Midwest. The domestic industrial robot manufacturers are gradually emerging and they are starting to compete with the "Four Big Family" for domestic and foreign markets.

According to statistics, in 2014 China's sales of industrial robots were 57,000 units, an increase of 55% year-on-year; sales in 2015 reached 68,000 units, an increase of 19% year-on-year; sales in 2016 reached nearly 90,000 units. Based on the above factors, it can be expected that the sales volume of Chinese industrial robots will reach 127,000 units in 2018, and the average annual compound growth rate will be about 23.24% in the next five years (2018-2022). In 2022, the sales volume of industrial robots in China will reach 293,000 units. It is said that the industrial robot market in China is promising.

In recent years, with the advancement of localization of robots and core components, cost reduction (shortening of investment recovery period), artificial replacement, and acceleration of import substitution have caused a large number of domestic robotics companies to usher in the golden period of development.

Labor costs rise Industrial robot prices down

As the demographic dividend has decreased, labor shortages and labor costs have risen, China’s labor cost advantage relative to other developing countries has gradually weakened, and labor-intensive industries have gradually shifted to other countries in Southeast Asia. Compared with the rising labor costs, the high efficiency and “no rest” advantages of industrial robots have made it increasingly the preferred “labour force” for more companies.

Compared to the millions of robotic devices previously used, the price of today's industrial robots has made it affordable for most companies. Therefore, purchasing robots instead of humans naturally incorporates many companies' development plans.

The state issued a policy to support the trend of smart manufacturing

In April 2016, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the Ministry of Finance jointly issued the "Robotic Industry Development Plan (2017-2021)". "Planning" proposes to form China's own relatively perfect robot industry system within five years and to list its main tasks. First, we will take the lead in making breakthroughs in major iconic products; second, we will vigorously develop key robot parts and components; third, we will strengthen industrial basic capabilities; fourth, we will focus on promoting application demonstration; and 5) actively cultivate leading enterprises. China's robotics industry is in the period of demand for the release of industrial transformation and upgrading, prominent national policy dividends, and capital market boosting opportunities. The potential for investment in components, upstream midstream manufacturing, system integration, and downstream application areas of the robot industry chain is huge.

Coupled with the current trend of intelligent manufacturing, the proportion of robots replacing humans will surely increase. With the improvement of product quality requirements in the future, China's industrial manufacturing industry will also move toward intensive and intelligent industrial upgrading. The degree of automation will be higher and higher, and the demand for automation equipment will also be gradually released.

Although China's industrial robots still have relatively low independent innovation capabilities, and their products are mainly based on low-end products, it is undeniable that many robotic companies are also working hard to advance to higher-end products. Thousands of miles begins with a single step, as long as domestic companies have the spirit of climbing the heights, I believe that the future of domestic industrial robots must be bright!