China’s Largest Robotics Hub Sets New Records

Shenzhen accounted for 43% of China’s service robot output and 25% of its industrial robots last year, with total valuation reaching a record $35.4 billion.

China is a leading country in the field of robotics

At the AI and Robot Plus Expo held in Shenzhen from April 23–25, domestic robots demonstrated a wide array of specialized capabilities. Products from X Square were seen picking up litter, folding clothes, cleaning cat litter boxes, and transporting goods in supermarkets. These displays offer a clear reflection of the current state of Shenzhen's robotics industry as it moves past the exhibition phase and seeks integration into daily life.

A report released at the expo indicated that Shenzhen’s total robotics industry output exceeded $35.4 billion last year, a 20% increase over 2024. The city produced nearly 8 million service robots, making up 43% of the national total. Simultaneously, it shipped 194,900 industrial robots, accounting for 25% of China's overall production.

Shenzhen currently leads China in both core robotics segments. Revenue for the city's robotics industrial cluster rose 34% to $5.5 billion. Furthermore, the number of companies holding robotics-related patents reached 4,676 units, an increase of nearly 20% compared to 2025.

Shenzhen’s competitive advantage lies in its hardware supply chain. Yang Qian, CEO of X Square, noted that this is the decisive factor helping local robotics firms minimize product development time.

X Square demonstrates an automated garbage-collecting robot

"Customized parts can be delivered within days, compared to months abroad. The cost and time required for product refinement in Shenzhen is only 10% of what it is overseas. This significantly reduces the financial and temporal burden for mass production," Mr. Yang stated.

Local authorities are also supporting expansion into industrial, retail, and community sectors to deploy robots, creating continuous field-testing environments for companies. Shenzhen is currently headquarters to several leading robotics startups, including Engine AI—the creator of the world's first somersaulting robot—and UBTech, China’s pioneer in humanoid robot manufacturing.

X Square is currently deploying the Quanta X1 Pro robot for household cleaning services in Shenzhen and is preparing to launch an upgraded version next month, which will utilize the new-generation Wall-B platform.