Beijing is establishing itself as a leader in the robot industry, with plans to develop a domestic robot industry cluster that will be globally advanced. The “Beijing Robot Industry Innovation Development Action Plan (2023-2025)” sets out the city’s goal to improve its robot industry innovation capabilities by 2025. It aims to cultivate 100 types of high-tech and high-value-added robot products, promote 100 types of robots with national application scenarios, and achieve a leading level of robot ownership per 10,000 people.
One notable achievement in the city’s robot industry is the development of a vascular interventional surgery robot, which has successfully performed complex actions like guide wire control, balloon delivery, and stent delivery. This robot, developed in Yizhuang, has brought greater precision and efficiency to interventional doctors, reducing the need for heavy lead clothing and improving control accuracy and standardization. The success of this robot has spurred the development of other robotic products in recent years.
To further strengthen the robot industry, Beijing plans to focus on cutting-edge technology and future strategic needs. The city will prioritize the deployment of humanoid robots, as well as medical health, collaboration, special, and logistics robot products. The aim is to create an integrated, open, and leading innovative product system. The city also plans to benchmark international leading humanoid robot products and support research and engineering of humanoid robot products and key components. The construction of the Beijing Humanoid Robot Industry Innovation Center will enhance the city’s technical level and market competitiveness.
In addition to advancements in robotics, the plan also envisions the implementation of hundreds of application scenario demonstration projects across various industries. Robots will be introduced to fields such as medical care, manufacturing, construction, commercial logistics, elderly care, emergency response, and agriculture. For example, smart hospitals and healthy communities will benefit from the application of robots in automatic imaging diagnosis and treatment, remote surgical treatment, and medical material distribution. Smart construction sites and smart cities will see the use of construction robots for tasks like exterior wall or indoor spraying. Commercial logistics will see mobile operations and logistics robots, while elderly care and rehabilitation robots will be promoted in the field of elderly care.
To optimize the industrial layout, Beijing plans to create demonstration areas for the combination of robot production and research, as well as agglomeration areas for the combination of production and use. Haidian District will focus on robot originality and cutting-edge technology innovation, while Changping District will leverage the transformation of Zhongguancun’s robot innovation achievements. The southern part of Beijing will be a gathering area for the integration of robot production and application, with the Beijing Economic and Technological Development Zone leading the way. Fengtai District and other districts will also play a role in building characteristic parks in specific areas of the robotics industry.
Collaboration with neighboring regions, such as Tianjin and Hebei, is also emphasized in the plan. Beijing will support robot head enterprises to leverage the industrial chain and guide upstream and downstream supporting enterprises to deploy in Tianjin and Hebei. Efforts will be made to encourage enterprises with headquarters in Beijing and production in Tianjin and Hebei to build industrial Internet platforms and establish collaborative production processes.
By 2025, the plan aims to significantly enhance Beijing’s innovation capability in the robot industry. With the cultivation of 100 high-tech and high-value-added robot products, 100 application scenarios of national promotion value, and a leading level of robot ownership per 10,000 people, Beijing will develop a vibrant development ecosystem that fosters innovation and entrepreneurship in the robot industry.
Overall, Beijing’s ambitious plans for the robot industry demonstrate its commitment to technological advancement and economic growth, positioning the city as a leader in this rapidly evolving field.