According to statistics from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), by 2017, more robots will be operating in China’s production plants than in the European Union or North America. (Photo : Imagine China)

By acquiring 56,000 units, which comprises 24.9 percent of total global sales, China has retained its title as the world’s largest market for robotics last year.



The year before that, the world saw China's rise as the biggest robot consumer through the purchase of over one-fifth of the global supply of 178,000 units in 2013.




Coming in at the no. 2 spot is South Korea with 39,000 units, followed by Japan, the U.S. and Germany.



According to statistics from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), by 2017, more robots will be operating in China's production plants than in the European Union or North America.



Current operating units within China is approximately 200,000 and that number is expected to double.



Although such developments show the importance of robots in China's industrialization and development, the country is still reliant on foreign suppliers for vital upper-stream parts and technologies.



The country is planning to change that after the State Council's announcement of a renewed focus on "high-caliber numerically controlled machine tools and robots" last May.



Per Vegard Nerseth, managing director of ABB Robotics, shares that this endeavor is only the beginning.



"As the first foreign robot manufacturer to arrive here, we have observed the market and developments for years now. We have witnessed swift, almost explosive growth over the last two or three years, surpassing even our expectations," he said.



The government is aiming to develop robotics research within the country, in partnership with foreign manufacturers.



Currently, there are over 1,000 Chinese firms dedicated to robot design and production and the majority are adopting a small-scale operation with significantly less capital.



However, Pan Wei, a senior analyst at OFweek, expects all that to change in the coming five years.



The Chinese robotics industry could witness a huge influx of capital brought about by government support.

