Japanese companies are stepping up their humanoid robot business in China, establishing an R&D center in Beijing and seeking to expand their technology and sales channels through collaboration with local companies.
Renesas Electronics, a major Japanese semiconductor company, opened a research and development center for humanoid robot control technology in Beijing, China, last month and is pursuing development with local companies. According to NHK reports, the company plans to accelerate development and secure technical expertise through collaboration with local companies.
Mitsubishi Electric invested in the development of manufacturing humanoid robots at a Chinese startup in March and aims to expand its sales channels in China by pursuing joint development for factory automation applications.
GMO Internet Group, a major IT company, has also announced plans to partner with a Chinese manufacturer and enter the humanoid robot sales business in the Japanese market.
Experts advise Japanese companies to leverage their traditional hardware strengths in the robotics industry, and say flexible technology development that responds to changes in the AI environment will be required going forward.