Growth of China's robot sales to continue

Sales in the collaborative robot market, or cobot, in China will continue to grow and take more global market share in the future, thanks to booming demand in the manufacturing and commercial service sectors, according to an industry report.

Last year, China’s cobot sales hit 8,200 units, a 29.5 percent growth year on year, and are estimated to exceed 25,000 units in 2023. The Chinese market sales will account for 7.5 percent of global sales in 2021, compared with 5.3 percent in 2019, according to a Shenzhen Gaogong Consulting Co report. 

A growing segment in the robot industry, cobot has direct human robot interaction within a shared space. It focuses on flexibility, safety and coloration with people.

Globally, there are about 110 cobot firms with 75 of them doing business in China. The figure will hit 100 in China by 2023, according to Gaogong.

The pandemic has boosted collaborative robot applications in China and globally, and Chinese firms have improved their market share with technological innovation and localized services in a market that used to be dominated by overseas giants.

Shanghai-based cobot maker Jaka has gained partners and clients in the automotive, electronics and medical device industries. Founded in 2014 with core technologies from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Jaka has adopted new technologies such as wireless connection, graphic programming and improved safety systems, said Xu Xiong, chief technology officer of the company.