The global humanoid robot competition is in full swing, with the dual drivers of policy and capital accelerating the large-scale application of intelligent robots in industrial, service, and special fields.
Recently, the 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games were held at the National Speed Skating Hall in Beijing, with 280 teams from 16 countries and regions competing in 487 matches.
The event includes 26 competitions covering athletics, performances, scenarios, and peripheral events, showcasing cutting-edge achievements of humanoid robots in intelligent decision-making and motion collaboration.
1. Technological Frontier: NVIDIA Launches New “Brain” for Robots
NVIDIA announced on social media this week the launch of a “new brain” for robots. The company’s CEO, Jensen Huang, wrote on a card: “To robots: Enjoy your new brain!”.
This teased product is believed to be a next-generation robotic computing platform. NVIDIA had already released an open-source physical AI application and the robot vision reasoning model, Cosmos Reason, at the SIGGRAPH conference on August 12.
The model enables robots to possess the ability to “reason like humans,” using existing knowledge and concepts to take action in the real world. Notably, a robot product from the Chinese manufacturer Fourier appeared in NVIDIA’s promotional video.
2. Policy Trends: Guangdong Introduces 50 Million Subsidy, Shanghai Promotes “AI + Manufacturing”
In terms of policy, local governments continue to release supportive signals. The Guangdong Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology and the Guangdong Provincial Department of Finance jointly issued the “Implementation Rules for Fund Management Related to the Innovative Development of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Industry,” clarifying financial support for four categories of key projects.
The rules will take effect on September 1, 2025, and remain valid until the end of 2027. Among them, national-level manufacturing innovation centers can receive up to 50 million yuan in subsidies for individual projects.
The Shanghai Municipal Economic and Information Commission and others issued the “Implementation Plan for Accelerating the Development of ‘AI + Manufacturing’ in Shanghai.” The plan supports key industries such as electronics, automobiles, and equipment to deploy industrial robots in repetitive and hazardous work scenarios.
It promotes the creation of human-machine collaborative intelligent manufacturing units in industries like steel and shipbuilding, achieving automation of complex processes.
The 2025 Government Work Report for the first time includes “embodied intelligence” alongside “intelligent robots” as key development directions for future industries. AI industry hubs like Beijing, Shenzhen, and Shanghai have quickly responded with differentiated policy measures to compete in the embodied intelligence track.
3. Industry Dynamics: China’s Robotics Industry Thrives, Expanding Application Scenarios
The Chinese robotics industry is showing strong development vitality. According to research institutions, by the end of 2024, over 220 companies worldwide have announced humanoid robot models and related products, with Chinese companies accounting for about half.
In the first half of 2025, there were 87 financing events in China’s humanoid robot industry, with disclosed financing amounts of approximately 10.9 billion yuan. Data shows that there are currently over 930,000 robot-related companies in China.
In terms of application, robots are expanding from industrial fields to more scenarios. Robot hands can assist surgeons in minimally invasive surgeries, become intelligent prosthetics that can interpret muscle signals, or automate complex household chores.
At the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, 156 procurement delegations were received, and over 300 procurement demands were released on-site. The first “E-Town Robot Consumption Festival” sold 19,000 robots and related products, with sales exceeding 200 million yuan.
4. Capital Layout: Active Financing in Q1, Saudi Arabia’s Trillion Fund Enters the Asia-Pacific Market
In the capital market, the artificial intelligence and robotics sector has recently seen a surge. On August 18, the Shanghai Composite Index closed at 3728 points, reaching a nearly ten-year high.
The Science and Technology Innovation Artificial Intelligence ETF Huaxia (589010) rose by 3.91%, with a maximum intraday increase of 5.61%, and has increased by 17.05% over the past 20 trading days. The Robotics ETF (562500) rose by 2.08%, with the latest scale reaching 17.218 billion yuan, far exceeding comparable funds.
In the first half of 2025, China’s industrial robot exports reached 746 million USD, a year-on-year increase of nearly 60%, and fierce domestic competition has prompted Chinese robot manufacturers to actively expand into overseas markets.
Data shows that by 2024, China’s artificial intelligence industry scale has exceeded 700 billion yuan, maintaining a growth rate of over 20% for several consecutive years. In the first half of this year, China’s robotics industry revenue grew by 27.8% year-on-year.
China has maintained its position as the world’s largest industrial robot market for 12 consecutive years. Experts predict that by 2030, the market size of humanoid robots in China will reach 870 billion yuan.
The global supply chain restructuring has led to a surge of new factories in Southeast Asia and other regions, with “Made in China” robots providing manpower and logistics services for production lines, becoming a new growth point for China’s robot industry exports.
