In an era defined by rapid technological advancement, humanoid robots have emerged as a focal point of innovation, capturing the attention of cities, industries, and researchers worldwide. As governments and enterprises recognize the transformative potential of these machines, a global race is underway to lead the development and deployment of humanoid robotics. In China, this competition has intensified, with major cities vying to establish themselves as hubs for humanoid robot innovation, production, and application. This article delves into the ambitions driving these urban initiatives, the technological challenges hindering progress, and the collaborative efforts shaping the future of this groundbreaking industry.
The Urban Race to Dominate Humanoid Robotics
The Chinese government laid the groundwork for this technological push in 2023 with the issuance of the Guidelines for the Innovative Development of Humanoid Robots by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT). The document outlined a clear roadmap: by 2025, establish a preliminary innovation system for humanoid robots with breakthroughs in key technologies; by 2027, build a globally competitive industrial ecosystem, positioning China as a world leader in the field. This national strategy has ignited a surge of activity at the local level, with cities across the country launching ambitious plans to stake their claim in the humanoid robot landscape.
Shenzhen: A Trillion-Yuan Industrial Vision
Shenzhen, often dubbed China’s “Silicon Valley,” has set its sights on becoming a powerhouse in embodied intelligence robotics. In March 2025, the city unveiled the Action Plan for Technological Innovation and Industrial Development of Embodied Intelligence Robots (2025–2027), a blueprint aimed at driving rapid growth in the sector. The plan envisions tripling the scale of the embodied intelligence robot industry within three years, targeting a total output value of over 100 billion yuan by 2027. To achieve this, Shenzhen aims to cultivate more than 10 enterprises with a valuation exceeding 10 billion yuan and 20 enterprises with annual revenues surpassing 1 billion yuan. Additionally, the city plans to deploy 50 billion-yuan-level application scenarios and foster a cluster of over 1,200 related enterprises.
Shenzhen’s strategy hinges on leveraging its robust manufacturing base and tech ecosystem, integrating humanoid robots into industrial, commercial, and domestic settings. The city’s focus on embodied intelligence—robots capable of interacting with the physical world through sensory and motor skills—reflects a broader trend toward creating versatile machines that can adapt to complex environments.
Beijing: Pioneering Mass Production and Scalable Applications
Beijing, the nation’s capital and a hub for research and development, has set its sights on becoming a leader in mass production and scalable applications of embodied intelligence. The Beijing Action Plan for Embodied Intelligence Technology Innovation and Industrial Cultivation (2025–2027) aims to achieve a milestone by 2027: surpassing 10,000 units in mass production scale for embodied intelligence products. The plan emphasizes the development of a complete industrial chain, from core components to finished products, with a target of nurturing at least 50 upstream and downstream core enterprises.
Beijing’s strategy focuses on three key application scenarios: scientific research and education, industrial and commercial services, and personalized consumer services. By prioritizing 规模化应用 (large-scale applications), the city seeks to bridge the gap between laboratory prototypes and real-world deployment, ensuring that humanoid robots become integral to daily operations in various sectors.
Shanghai: A Comprehensive Ecosystem from Components to Applications
As a longstanding leader in robotics research, Shanghai has built a comprehensive ecosystem spanning the entire humanoid robot value chain, from upstream core components to midstream machine 本体 (body) manufacturing and downstream application terminals. The city’s Action Plan for Industrial Service Empowerment and Industrial Upgrading (2024–2027) highlights its ambition to establish a national humanoid robot manufacturing innovation center.
A notable achievement in Shanghai is the creation of the “GeWu” Embodied Intelligence Simulation Platform, developed by a consortium including Shanghai University and Tsinghua University. This platform provides critical technical support for the industry, enabling researchers to test and refine humanoid robot capabilities in virtual environments before real-world deployment. With multiple enterprises, including Shanghai Zhiyuan Robotics and Fourier Intelligence, launching prototype humanoid robots and initiating deliveries, Shanghai is poised to become a major player in both R&D and commercialization.
Suzhou and Wuxi: Integrating Manufacturing and Innovation
Suzhou, a renowned hub for high-end manufacturing, aims to blend its industrial expertise with embodied intelligence robotics. The Suzhou Three-Year Action Plan for the Innovative Development of Embodied Intelligence Robot Industry (2025–2027) targets the cultivation of at least three enterprises capable of commercial mass production of embodied intelligence robots by 2027, with a core industry scale of 10 billion yuan. The city seeks to leverage its existing robotics industry—projected to reach 200 billion yuan in scale—to become a national leader in technological innovation, high-end manufacturing, and demonstration applications.
Neighboring Wuxi has set its sights on becoming a “new highland” for embodied intelligence robotics. The city’s Implementation Plan for the Development of Embodied Intelligence Robot Industry (2025–2027) aims to expand its artificial intelligence industry to over 300 billion yuan within three years, while cultivating a cluster of 200 enterprises and creating 300 typical application scenarios across manufacturing, special fields, and civil services. Wuxi’s emphasis on practical applications—such as factory collaboration and rescue operations—reflects a pragmatic approach to driving industry growth through real-world use cases.
Ningbo and Beyond: Regional Ambitions
Ningbo, a major port city and manufacturing center, has laid out plans to become a significant domestic research, development, and manufacturing base for humanoid robots. The Ningbo Action Plan for the Innovative Development of Humanoid Robot Industry (2024–2027) aims to position the city among the top competitors in the humanoid robot industry chain by 2027, creating a provincial-level “future industry” pilot zone and expanding 25 typical application scenarios.
Other cities and provinces, including Zhejiang, Henan, and Shandong, have also joined the fray, each bringing unique strengths—whether in manufacturing, tech innovation, or policy support—to the national effort. This decentralized yet coordinated approach reflects China’s strategy to foster regional specialization and collaborative growth in the humanoid robot sector.
Testing Grounds: Competitions and Real-World Trials
A defining feature of China’s humanoid robot push in 2025 has been the proliferation of competitions and public trials designed to test robot capabilities in complex scenarios. These events serve dual purposes: showcasing technological progress and identifying areas for improvement.
The Marathon and Games: Simulating Real-World Challenges
In April 2025, Beijing’s Yizhuang district hosted the world’s first humanoid robot half-marathon, a landmark event that pushed robots to navigate outdoor environments, adapt to changing terrain, and sustain prolonged activity. The race highlighted the progress in locomotion and endurance, but also revealed limitations in balance, energy efficiency, and real-time decision-making.
Shortly after, Wuxi held its first Embodied Intelligence Robot Games, featuring a mix of competitive and practical events. Participants tackled tasks ranging from obstacle courses and soccer matches to logistics operations like cargo handling and indoor rescue simulations. The games also included interactive elements, such as robot-hosted coffee stands and calligraphy displays, demonstrating the potential for human-robot collaboration in service industries.
The upcoming 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing (August 15–17) is set to raise the bar further. The event will feature both main competitions—focused on skills like athletics, logistics, and medical sorting—and peripheral activities designed for public engagement, such as table tennis and basketball. These events not only attract global attention but also provide invaluable data for developers, helping them refine algorithms and improve robot performance.
Industrial Collaborations: From Labs to Factories
While competitions highlight technological prowess, the true test of humanoid robots lies in their ability to integrate into industrial workflows. In recent months, several high-profile partnerships have signaled a shift toward practical application:
- Huawei and UBTech: In April 2025, the tech giants announced a strategic collaboration to advance embodied intelligence and humanoid robot development, focusing on industrial and domestic scenarios. The partnership leverages Huawei’s expertise in communications and AI with UBTech’s leading humanoid robot platforms.
- Transfar Group and Zhejiang Humanoid Robot Innovation Center: This collaboration aims to establish a joint laboratory for robot materials, driving R&D and application of embodied intelligence robots. The project seeks to create innovative ecosystems where humans and robots work side by side, particularly in logistics and manufacturing.
- Qiaoyin Holdings and National Humanoid Robot Innovation Center: Focused on 环卫 (sanitation), property management, and home services, this partnership aims to launch three new humanoid robot (arm) products, addressing labor-intensive tasks in urban environments.
Perhaps most notably, UBTech’s Walker S series has entered several major automotive factories, including Dongfeng Liuzhou Motors, where 20 robots are set to be deployed for tasks like cargo handling, quality inspection, and parts installation. These deployments mark the first large-scale entry of humanoid robots into automotive manufacturing, a sector traditionally dominated by fixed industrial robots.
“Factory environments demand high adaptability,” notes Jiao Jichao, Vice President of UBTech and Executive Dean of its Research Institute. “Humanoid robots must quickly adjust to dynamic workflows, which requires advanced generalization capabilities and real-time data processing.” UBTech’s 2024 annual report highlights its focus on industrial applications, where robots have already demonstrated proficiency in repetitive tasks, laying the groundwork for broader adoption.
Challenges on the Path to Mass Adoption
Despite the enthusiasm and progress, the humanoid robot industry faces significant hurdles. Chief among them is the scarcity of viable application scenarios. While robots have shown promise in controlled environments like factories and exhibition halls, scaling to complex, unstructured settings remains a formidable challenge.
Technical Bottlenecks: From Mobility to Intelligence
Current humanoid robots struggle with basic locomotion in unpredictable environments, such as uneven floors or crowded spaces. Their ability to perform fine motor tasks—like grasping delicate objects or manipulating tools—lags far behind human capabilities. Additionally, achieving true “embodied intelligence”—the ability to learn and adapt through interaction with the physical world—requires breakthroughs in machine learning, sensor technology, and energy management.
“While we’ve seen progress in specific tasks, humanoid robots still lack the general intelligence needed for open-ended environments,” explains a report by Guojin Securities. The firm notes that commercial applications are currently limited to controlled sectors like catering, tourism, and education, where interactions are predictable and tasks are repetitive. High-risk or highly variable scenarios, such as disaster response or complex manufacturing processes, remain out of reach.
Balancing Ambition with Practicality
Cities and enterprises must also confront the gap between technological ambition and market reality. While Shenzhen and Beijing aim for billion-yuan industries and mass production, many experts caution that the sector is still in its infancy. “Humanoid robotics is a marathon, not a sprint,” emphasizes the 21st Century Economic Research Institute. “Rushing to scale without solving fundamental technical and economic challenges could lead to wasted resources and dashed expectations.”
Key challenges include:
- Cost: Developing and producing humanoid robots remains expensive, with prototypes often costing hundreds of thousands of yuan. Achieving economies of scale will require significant investment in manufacturing infrastructure.
- User Acceptance: In service industries, consumer skepticism about robot reliability and safety could slow adoption. Trust in these machines must be built through consistent performance and transparent communication.
- Regulatory Frameworks: As humanoid robots enter public spaces, questions about safety standards, liability, and data privacy must be addressed. Governments must strike a balance between fostering innovation and protecting public welfare.
The Road Ahead: A Collaborative Ecosystem
For humanoid robotics to reach its full potential, a collaborative ecosystem spanning government, industry, and academia is essential. Cities like Shanghai and Beijing are already fostering such ecosystems through innovation centers and research consortia, while competitions and pilot projects provide valuable feedback loops for developers.
The 21st Century Economic Research Institute envisions a three-stage roadmap for humanoid robot development: first, mastering industrial and quasi-industrial applications; second, expanding into commercial services; and finally, integrating into daily life. Industrial settings, such as automotive manufacturing and logistics, are likely to be the first frontier, as they offer structured environments where robots can learn and iterate without overwhelming complexity.
“Humanoid robots represent a trillion-yuan industry opportunity,” the institute notes, “but realizing this potential requires patience and a focus on application-driven research.” As cities continue to invest in infrastructure and policies, and as enterprises and researchers tackle technical hurdles, the humanoid robot race will shape not only the future of technology but also the very fabric of urban life.
In the end, the competition among cities is not just about dominance; it’s about collectively pushing the boundaries of what humanoid robots can achieve. As the world watches, China’s urban innovators are laying the groundwork for a future where robots are not just tools but partners, transforming industries and improving lives in ways once confined to the realm of science fiction.
This comprehensive analysis underscores the complex interplay of ambition, innovation, and practicality driving the humanoid robot revolution. As cities and enterprises navigate the challenges of this technological long march, the lessons learned today will define the trajectory of one of the most transformative industries of the 21st century.