SHENZHEN, May 16 (Xinhua) -- In a smart factory of China's home appliance giant Midea Group, more than 10 robots are busy screwing and welding. But here's the twist: these robots are not simply assembling the company's iconic air conditioners or fridges; instead, they are building other industrial robots.

This "robots producing robots" production line in Foshan, Guangdong Province, operates fully automated and around the clock, rolling out one robot every 30 minutes on average.

The factory sits amid a thriving robot industry ecosystem, where suppliers of core components are just a 10-minute drive away. Benefiting from the efficient supply chain, the Midea factory has delivered more than 80,000 industrial robots since it was set up in 2020.

Midea started its foray into the robotics in 2015, with hopes of harnessing the technology to make its home appliances smarter while gaining a strategic foothold in the futuristic industry of smart robots.

In March this year, the group unveiled a humanoid robot prototype capable of performing a variety of movements, including shaking hands, dancing, tightening screws, as well as understanding voice commands and doing operations as instructed.

"We expect that the humanoid robot can be applied and commercialized in specific scenarios such as industry and manufacturing," said Wei Chang, vice president and chief technology officer of Midea.

COMPREHENSIVE CHAIN

Midea epitomizes Guangdong's robot boom. The manufacturing heartland in south China is home to more than 160,000 robotics enterprises, constituting the country's largest industrial cluster for intelligent robots.

According to the provincial government, Guangdong's industrial robot output exceeded 240,000 units or sets in 2024, marking a year-on-year growth of 31.2 percent. One out of every three industrial robots in China is now made in Guangdong.

With Shenzhen as its tech hub, Guangdong boasts advantages in mechatronics and digital intelligence technologies, said Lin Yi, deputy head of the industry and information technology bureau of Shenzhen.

Excellent mechatronics enable rapid assembly of a robot's body and limbs, while digital intelligence technologies empower a robot with a smart brain. The two strengths help foster a comprehensive industry chain in the province, extending from the production of chips and core components to downstream applications.

A sophisticated and well-rounded industrial chain is credited with lowering costs for both development and manufacturing of new products. This infrastructure has supported the rapid emergence of many industries in China, ranging from drones to new energy, in recent years.

Although humanoid robots first emerged abroad, the most likely place for their industrialization and commercialization is China, said Zhang Jin, president of SIASUN Robot Automation Co., Ltd.

"In China, there are companies focusing on making robots' brain, while others specialize in arms, feet and other components. Altogether, they form a complete and vibrant industry eco-system," Zhang said.

TALENT, MONEY POLICIES

By the end of 2024, China had a total of 451,700 smart robotics firms, marking a staggering 206.7-percent increase from 2020, according to official data.

Apart from industrial chain prowess, China's vast pool of engineers has also added momentum to the industry. More than 300 colleges and universities nationwide now offer undergraduate programs in robotics engineering, which was approved as an undergraduate major by the Ministry of Education in 2016.

Supportive policies also play a crucial role. In 2023, China issued a guidance on the innovative development of humanoid robots, declaring that they were expected to become revolutionary products following computers, smartphones and new energy vehicles.

China's government work report this year pledges to establish a mechanism to increase funding for industries of the future including embodied artificial intelligence, which refers to AI with physical bodies such as robots.

Many local governments have also come up with ambitious plans. In February, Beijing, which boasts a congregation of leading universities and technological startups, issued a detailed action plan for embodied intelligence, setting a national benchmark for the industry.

By 2027, the city is expected to employ robots in more than 100 scenarios covering areas from manufacturing to logistics, especially taking up jobs that are perilous, repetitive and laborious, it said.