The robotics industry has been a whirlwind of activity over the past week. Unitree Technology, hailed as the "first humanoid robot stock" on the A-share market, officially debuted on the STAR Market; the 2026 World Robot Conference kicked off in Beijing, showcasing breakthroughs in complete machines, core components, collaborative supply-chain innovation, and multi-scenario applications; and the second World Humanoid Robot Games opened, with robots competing in events like the 100-meter dash, tug-of-war, and pitch-pot. Yet, behind these headline-grabbing moments, central state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have been a constant, ubiquitous presence.
For instance, during Unitree's initial public offering, two SOE investment platforms, CNPC Kunlun Capital Co., Ltd. and Southern Power Grid Industry and Finance Holdings Group Co., Ltd., appeared on its strategic placement shareholder list, backing the sector's leader with substantial capital. At the World Robot Conference, a dedicated central enterprise joint exhibition area debuted for the first time, with 48 SOEs displaying 263 premium exhibits that highlighted the "national team's" innovative prowess in robotics. Furthermore, under the guidance of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC), the China North Industries Group Corporation Limited took the lead in establishing the Central Enterprise Robot Innovation Consortium, uniting over a hundred entities, including central enterprises, universities, research institutes, private firms, and industry associations.
This three-pronged approach—capital deployment, collaborative innovation, and achievement showcases—maps out a comprehensive blueprint for SOE involvement in the robotics industry. This is far from a mere chase for fleeting trends; it represents a systematic, multi-dimensional strategy covering capital, technology, and application scenarios, underpinned by a deeper strategic logic that warrants close examination.
As international technological competition intensifies, the investment and positioning of central enterprises in hard-tech fields inherently carries an irreplaceable strategic mission. The robotics industry boasts an extensive value chain and high technological density, integrating cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, and new materials. For central enterprises, entering this arena is both a decisive move to consolidate advantages in strategic emerging industries and a necessary step to seize the initiative in future industrial development.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the robot industry's revenue for enterprises above a designated size surpassed RMB 300 billion in 2025, with an average annual growth rate exceeding 20% over the past five years. In the first half of this year alone, it reached RMB 165.5 billion, marking a 24.5% year-on-year increase. This rapid expansion in industrial scale underscores the strategic value of this sector.
From my perspective, the accelerated push by central enterprises into the humanoid robot space is driven by very practical, real-world demands from the industrial end. Take the energy and power sector, for example. Whether it's remote inspections of oil and gas fields, maintenance of substation equipment, or troubleshooting transmission lines, these operational environments are universally characterized by "four highs"—high temperature, high pressure, high altitude, and high hazard. Traditional manual operations are not only inefficient but also present severe safety risks. The introduction of robots is not merely a simple replacement of human labor; rather, it fills a critical gap within the intelligent operations framework of "unmanned stations and minimal-manpower patrols," facilitating a shift from labor-intensive tactics to precision-based maintenance.
At the same time, central enterprises possess vast real-world operational environments across energy, power, petroleum, and telecommunications—precisely the scarcest and most valuable testing grounds for the robotics industry. For robots to evolve from demonstration prototypes to practical, operational tools, they must undergo rigorous refinement in real-world conditions. The diverse frontline scenarios available within SOEs can help robotics firms forge a clear path from laboratory to industrial application. Defects exposed, data accumulated, algorithms iterated, and high-value industry-specific data continuously generated through real-world deployment will all be converted into tangible product competitiveness.
In summary, whether through the long-cycle capital binding facilitated by strategic placements or the collaborative research platforms built by innovation consortia, the systematic approach of central enterprises in the humanoid robotics sector is set to empower China to secure a stronger foothold in the global technological race.