Editor’s note:

Shenzhen is composed of nine administrative districts, one new area, and the Shenshan Special Cooperation Zone in Shanwei. While all 11 areas share Shenzhen’s defining spirit of innovation, each has its own unique characteristics. This page is devoted to the latest developments in Bao’an, a rapidly rising district in northwestern Shenzhen. Situated at the geographical center of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the district is dynamic, competitive, and at the forefront of the city’s development.

DURING the 27th China Hi-Tech Fair held from Nov. 14 to Nov. 16, the Shenzhen Robotics Association announced the establishment of its AIR Design House Global Robot Product Development and Selection Service Center in Bao’an District.

The center is built upon the achievements of the association’s FAIR plus robotics exhibition.

Embodied AI is becoming a catalyst for value chain restructuring in global manufacturing. Robots are no longer merely “robotic arms” that perform pre-set actions. Increasingly empowered by technologies like AI algorithms, they have evolved into “intelligent agents” capable of understanding, learning, and collaborating. They are now widely integrated into fields such as manufacturing, logistics, and services, giving rise to a series of new categories.

However, the journey for these new robot categories from the lab to the market is fraught with challenges. Every step — from selecting core components and performance validation to supply chain matching and small-batch trial production — places high demands on a team’s capabilities and industrial resources.

The center aims to systematically address the common challenges faced by robotic innovations during their engineering and industrialization phases.

During a roundtable dialogue at the fair, participants agreed that the future of robotics competition will hinge on the strength of ecosystems and collaborative efficiency. The launch of this center marks a key step for Bao’an in leveraging its advantages in three fields — technical support, industrial chain support, and manufacturing capability — to build global service capacity for the robotics industry.

(Wang Jingli)