January 2022

China’s Ambitious New 5-year Plan for Robotics (2020 – 2025)

Image credit: EVS Robotics

China’s track record in robotics is impressive already. It is the biggest robot market in the world – by far. With its now published 5-year plan for the development of robotics, yet another big leap for China’s ambitions in robotics is on the horizon. Here are some of the major goals outlined in this new„sub-plan“ as part of the already published 5-year Plan in the 14th Five-year period in China:

• Robot density is to be doubled. It already stands at 246 (2020) units in use per 10,000 employees in the manufacturing sector. So the target is to reach 492 by 2025. Compare this to Germany’s robot density which was 370 in 2020, the third highest in the world (source: International Federation of Robotics | IFR ).

• China’s robotics industry is set to become „self-sustaining“ and „leapfrog over generations“.

• The average annual growth rate (CAGR) of the robotics sector is targeted to exceed 20%. A number of leading enterprises with international competitiveness and a large number of „small giant“ enterprises with strong innovation capacity are to be formed.

• Cutting edge technologies, such as bionic perception and cognition, „biomechanical-electric fusion“, AI, 5G, big data and cloud computing are to become drivers of robotics development. 

• Robotics standardization and Certification work is to be improved. 

• Service robots are to be increasingly deployed in agriculture, mining, construction, medical rehabilitation, housework, education, entertainment, safety supervision, catering and delivery. And even as companions for the elderly. 

• Special robots are to be used for underwater exploration, security patrols, traffic and border management as well as rescue operations.

How does China want to achieve these goals?

By strengthening coordination, increasing financial and fiscal support, creating a good market environment, strengthening IPR protection, cultivating talent in robotics and by deepening international exchange and cooperation.

What do you think? Will the goals be reached? The Chinese robot density attained in 2025 will be a good performance indicator - a figure which will become available in 2026!