SHANGHAI – In a decisive move to solidify its position in the world’s largest robotics market, ABB has launched three new robot series, explicitly engineered to meet the distinctive demands of the China robot market. This launch underscores three decades of deep local commitment and a strategic focus on innovation tailored for Chinese industries.
“Since the ABB Robotics division began operations in China in 1994, it has been over 30 years. We have learned how to grasp the real needs of the market, especially the China robot market. In this regard, ABB is second to none,” stated Marc Segura, President of ABB’s Robotics Business Area, sharing his insights during a recent media briefing in China.
The introduction of the PoWa collaborative robot, the Lite+ series, and the next-generation IRB 1200 small industrial robot represents a significant step in ABB’s “Engineered to Outrun” value proposition. It combines robust engineering with relentless innovation, aiming to provide exceptional products and services. This launch follows the announcement of ABB’s “Leading the Chapter” localization strategy in 2024, which empowers local teams to rapidly innovate and iterate products for Chinese customers.
Segura reflected on ABB’s journey, noting, “China has consistently been one of the world’s largest robot markets, with automation penetration ranking among the highest of all economies. We have been cultivating, learning, and further developing within the China robot market.”
1. Deep-Rooted Presence in the China Robot Ecosystem
ABB’s history in the China robot market is foundational. It is the first multinational robot supplier to establish a complete value chain in China—spanning production, R&D, sales, and service—all within the country. China remains ABB’s largest robotics delivery market globally, with approximately 90% of its robots sold in China being produced locally. A cornerstone of this commitment is the ABB Robotics Superfactory in Shanghai, which commenced operations in 2022. Designed to better serve the China robot market, this state-of-the-art facility serves as an innovation and manufacturing hub, with its service network now radiating to over 22 cities across the nation.
Han Chen, Senior Vice President of ABB Group and President of ABB Robotics China, emphasized the market’s gravitational pull on global strategy. “China’s industrial robot market accounts for 53% of the global market share,” he stated. “As China’s share gradually increases, it is natural for ABB to consider the China robot market factor when designing products. In China, ABB has the largest customer base and the most application scenarios. The development of many products will first consider progress in China, and new product launches also debut first in the China robot market.”
2. Market Insights: The Rise of Collaboration and Diversification
The strategic direction of ABB’s new launches is a direct response to evolving dynamics within the China robot market. Segura identified key trends driving growth, particularly in collaborative robotics. “In the past few years, the robotics industry, especially the collaborative robot business, has grown significantly for several reasons,” he explained. “First, more and more small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are beginning to experiment with automation. As the economy develops, even without large-scale factories or complex production requirements, they need robots with good performance, compact design, and high cost-effectiveness to help them automate. Second, we are seeing more demand for collaborative production on factory floors; even large factories require human-robot collaboration.”
This market shift highlights the increasing importance of small robots and collaborative robots in the China robot market. The trend of automation, once dominated by large enterprises with complex processes, is now expanding vigorously to a broader spectrum of small and medium-sized businesses, creating diverse and nuanced demands.
Marina Bill, Global Head of Sales and Business Operations for ABB Robotics and an Executive Board Member of the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), elaborated on the technological enablers. “Artificial Intelligence has made a huge difference, allowing the robotics industry to flourish. Now, many customers are using a wide variety of robots,” she said. “With the power of AI, we can summarize and apply certain process rules to better optimize speed and accuracy and make continuous improvements. Furthermore, AI helps us simulate real environments. There’s no longer a need for specialized programming of robots; instead, tasks can be accomplished by training them. This is incredibly exciting.”
3. The Lightning Portfolio: Engineered for the China Robot Market
The three new robot series embody ABB’s response to these market needs, showcasing a blend of speed, accessibility, and precision.
- PoWa Collaborative Robot: Built for speed, collaboration, and efficiency, the PoWa features an industrial-grade speed of up to 5.8 m/s. It is positioned as an ideal solution for high-speed pick-and-place, palletizing, and machine tending. Wu Fei, Head of Collaborative Robot Ecosystem for ABB Robotics China, commented on the segment’s potential in the China robot market: “The market share of collaborative robots in the industrial robot sector has grown from less than 1% a decade ago to over 10% today. Collaborative robots can address pain points for enterprises at different levels of automation. By 2028, demand for collaborative robots in the China robot market could reach around 100,000 units. This is a substantial market opportunity to seize.”
- Lite+ Robot Series: Specifically designed to lower the automation barrier for SMEs, the Lite+ series is tailored for basic material handling and pick-and-place operations. It is compact and user-friendly. This series is primarily targeted at the China and Asian markets and can be seamlessly integrated with the new IRB 1200 and other IRB series robots, offering flexible end-to-end production solutions for industries like electronics manufacturing.
- Next-Generation IRB 1200 Small Industrial Robot: Aimed at the global market, this robot enhances productivity and efficiency for high-speed, high-precision applications such as assembly, polishing, and dispensing. Compared to its predecessor, the new IRB 1200 is approximately 20% lighter and has a more compact structure, allowing manufacturers to build more space-efficient production cells, thereby increasing output and operational efficiency.
| Robot Series | Target Market Focus | Key Features | Primary Applications |
|---|---|---|---|
| PoWa | Global, with high relevance to China robot market | Industrial speed (5.8 m/s), collaborative, compact | High-speed pick-and-place, palletizing, machine tending |
| Lite+ | China & Asia robot markets | Easy to use, cost-effective, low barrier to entry | Basic material handling, pick-and-place for SMEs |
| IRB 1200 (Next-Gen) | Global | 20% lighter, more compact, high speed & precision | Assembly, polishing, dispensing |
4. R&D and Localization: The Twin Engines of Growth
Behind this rapid product innovation lies a dual-track R&D strategy. Xu Feng, Head of R&D for ABB Robotics China and one of IFR’s “Top 10 Most Influential Women in Robotics 2025,” explained the approach. “An excellent R&D strategy requires two tracks. One track responds to market needs and focuses on customer requirements. The other track involves continuous investment and innovation, preparing for the future,” she said.
ABB maintains development teams that release dozens of new products annually to meet immediate market demands and provide value to customers. Concurrently, dedicated research teams work more前瞻性ly on new topics, technologies, and ideas. “We must remain agile while innovating for the long term. Balancing both is not easy, but it is essential,” Xu Feng added, expressing particular pride in the new IRB 1200. “Internally in R&D, this product had a codename, ‘Tahiti.’ Tahiti is a pearl in the South Pacific. All of us in ABB R&D hoped this product would become a pearl in our robot family, the preferred choice for high-end applications in many industries.”
The “Leading the Chapter” localization strategy formalizes this agile, market-focused approach. It leverages the capabilities of the local Chinese team to quickly understand and react to the unique demands of the China robot market, ensuring that global innovation is effectively translated into local solutions.
Conclusion: A Future Engineered in and for China
The launch of these three robot series is more than just a product update; it is a testament to ABB’s enduring commitment to the China robot market. By combining a deeply rooted local value chain, insightful market understanding, a dual-track innovation strategy, and a lightning-fast response to customer needs, ABB aims not only to maintain but to extend its leadership.
As the China robot market continues to evolve, characterized by the rapid adoption of collaborative robots, the expansion of automation into SMEs, and the integration of AI, ABB’s strategy of being “Engineered to Outrun” appears poised to meet these challenges head-on. The company’s ability to grasp the real needs of the China robot market, as Marc Segura emphasized, remains the cornerstone of its past success and its roadmap for the future.