China is soon expected to become the largest user of industrial robots. Robot manufacturers have dismissed worries that better technology will force lower-paid workers out of jobs. For more, here is our reporter Laiming.

 

　　Amid talks of China's economic restructuring and massive market potential, many international robot enterprises believe the country will become the biggest user of industrial robots in the near future.

 

　　One of the world's leading industrial robot manufacturers Kuka is stepping up its investment in the Chinese market. The German based company has set up new assembly lines in Shanghai and has moved all its manufacturing firepower to China.

 

　　Meanwhile, domestic brands are also booming. Qu Daokui is president of Saisun Robot & Automation:

 

　　"Our company went public in 2009. In the following years, our business enjoyed compound annual growth of more than 50 percent. This year things are looking good too; so far we've been successful both in sales and in research and development."

 

　　In 2011, China owned 2000 industrial robots. The number increased to 3200 in 2012. However, president of the China Machinery Industry Federation, Wang Ruixiang says there is still a long way to go.

 

　　"So far the number of industrial robots in China is only one fifth of the number in Japan, and one third of the figure in the US and South Korea. More importantly, domestic brands take up less than 10 percent of the market share."

 

　　Chinese designed robots are adopted in auto-manufacturing, electronics, logistics and aero-technology; their application is yet to be expanded.

 

　　Qu Daokui believes this is due to the current industrial layout, as the focus of industrial development had previously been placed on labor-intensive industries. However, he believes the popularity of robots in the future will not have a negative impact upon employment.

 

　　"Industrial robots are used in extreme production processes, for example, the production of chips, solar panels, tablets, or bio-chemical medicines. Humans can't work in the manufacturing environment, so robots take over the task."

 

　　In addition, due to a rapidly-aging population, China is estimated to have 40 million less workers aged between 20 and 30, compared with the same figure ten years ago. Robots are here to fill the gap.

 

　　Stefan Sack, CEO of Comau Engineering says the future of China's work force lies in jobs that require more skills like the modern service industry.

 

　　"You don't want to have people only providing very low value-added labor - you want them to be better educated, China is investing a lot in the education system, so bringing the next generation of Chinese workers into higher, value-added jobs will provide the benefits the government's expecting."

 

　　In 2012, the total output of robot industry reached 1 billion yuan, a 67% increase from 2011.

 

　　For CRI, I'm Laiming.