History and improvement of Robotization in China
China has been developing its economy for decades, focusing on industrial production as a pillar of its economical strength. As early as the beginning of the 21st century, Chinese authorities began to see the possible for robotics as a key tool to modernise manufacture and keep competitiveness in the global market. The introduction of strategies specified as “Made in China 2025” and further five-year plans for the improvement of advanced technologies show how crucial automation has become for Beijing. In particular, industrial robotics has gained strategical importance in the context of rising labour costs, ageing populations and expanding request for quality products. From the implementation of the first robotics support programs to achieving leadership in robot production, China has undergone an highly dynamic improvement way that changes the global approach to automation.
Fig. 1: illustration of the increase in the number of industrial robots in China from 2010 to 2021.
Social policy on industrial robots
Industrial robotics plays a key function in maintaining China's dominance in industrial production. Given Beijing's emphasis on advanced technologies and self-sufficiency, it is not amazing that the country is taking major steps towards becoming the leader of innovation and production in the field of robotics.
Since the 10th Five-Year Plan, China's government has clearly declared its willingness to make fresh technologies to increase industrial competitiveness. In 2015, an initiative “Made in China 2025” (中国制造 2025) was introduced to establish China as a leading production power by 2049. The plan covers 10 key sectors, including “advanced numerically controlled device tools and robots”. improvement of industrial robotics is besides 1 of the priorities of investment in “new quality production forces” (新质生产力). China has late undertaken to increase investments in the modernisation of large scale equipment by 25% by 2027.
Figure 2: 10 key sectors of the “Made in China 2025” plan.
The Programme for the improvement of the Robotic manufacture (机器人产业发展规划) for 2016-2020 aimed at promoting the usage of robots in production, attracting abroad investments and supporting national robot production. The program envisaged tripling the yearly production of industrial robots to 100,000 units by 2020. This goal was well exceeded, as in 2020 more than 237 000 units were produced and in 2021 the number reached 363 000.
In 2018, China launched the National Centre for Robotic Innovation, a joint venture of the Institute of Automation in Shenyang, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Harbin Institute of Technology and another companies. The “Robotics+” (机器人+) plan for 2023 aims to double the density of robots in production in China by 2025 compared to 2020. Humanoid robots are the key component of this growth. In the “14th Five-Year Plan” for the improvement of the Robotic manufacture (十四五 机器人产业发展规划), the government set the mark of mass production of humanoids by 2025 and achieving planet leadership by 2027.
Figure 3: 5 tasks for the five-year Chinese robotics improvement plan (2016-2020).
Local and provincial authorities support these strategical objectives. At least 21 cities and 5 provinces offer subsidies for the improvement of industrial robotics. Hunan, Shenzhen and Beijing announced fresh action plans for the improvement of the robotic industry. Beijing's activities include investments in investigation and development, innovation platforms, industrial parks and talent recruitment. Political support is besides provided through accelerated approvals for land, factories and fresh projects and assistance in public stock exchange listings. In Guangdong Province, more than 2,000 production companies benefited from government subsidies to control from human to device work. The town of Dongguan (东莞) in Guangdong state is distinguished by the implementation of over 4,600 “man-machine” projects, supported by the fund of yearly returns of RMB 200 million for production companies.
Dongguan besides benefits from the industrial improvement region of Songshan Lake. At Songshan Lake, hundreds of robotic companies usage government-supported incubators and extended robot production capacity, allowing considerable time and cost savings in investigation and development.
Figure 4: photograph of Songshan Lake Industrial Park.
Social perception of robotization
Concerns about occupation losses as a consequence of robotization that dominate Western media are not so clearly noted in China. Government papers seldom express concerns about replacing people by machines, alternatively promoting robots as a solution to labour marketplace problems. With the wider social acceptance of robots, China resembles Japan more than Western countries, where concerns about jobs can inhibit further adoption of robots.
China, despite its industrial position as giant, faces crucial demographic challenges. The working age population is decreasing in both absolute numbers and as a percent of the full population. Forecasts for 2050 indicate a decrease in the working age population of more than 20%. In addition, rising wages, higher labour costs and the reluctance of younger generations to work in conventional production professions may aggravate the effects of this trend.
Figure 5 : Forecasts of population decline at working age.
In 2023 the Ministry of Human Resources and Social safety published a list of 100 professions where there are shortages of workers, 41 of which are related to production. The automotive manufacture is under peculiar pressure, which explains the crucial increases in the installation of robots in this sector.
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the global adoption of industrial robots, emphasizing their resilience to disruptions in supply chains due to wellness factors.
Research indicates a affirmative relation between robotics and overall productivity: robots can compensate for labour shortages, reduce mistake rates, improve safety and make higher productivity.
Government forecasts indicate that in 2025 the production sector in China could face a shortage of nearly 30 million workers. Is it surprising, then, that Chinese companies are counting on vacancy to fill the robots?
Figure 6 : Number of industrial robots per 10,000 workers in China compared to another countries.
Leszek B. Glass
Email: [email protected]
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