(Yicai) Aug. 28 -- China's robotics industry is rapidly developing but companies need to sharpen their market positioning, leverage their competitive strengths and avoid blind expansion in order to achieve stable and sustainable growth, a spokesperson for the National Development and Reform Commission said today.

The robotics sector encompasses a range of cutting-edge technologies, including artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing and new materials, Li Chao said at a press briefing. It is important to promote healthy and orderly development based on local conditions, leverage local resources and industrial strengths, establish clear positioning, while building on competitive advantages. Avoiding blind imitation and a herd mentality is crucial to ensuring the industry develops steadily and sustainably over the long term.

Robots demonstrated an impressive pace of technological iteration at the recent World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, Li said. At the same time, many robots showcased their potential for applications, such as warehouse sorting, outdoor inspections and security monitoring.

Many firms are focusing their research and development efforts on “dirty, tedious, dangerous and difficult” tasks, including hazardous and repetitive work that is difficult for human workers to perform for an extended period of time, Li said. Robots can provide targeted solutions for such applications, helping promote greater human-machine collaboration and improve efficiency.

China’s robotics industry has expanded rapidly in recent years, according to publicly available data. Last year, the combined revenue of industrial enterprises above a designated size in the country's robot sector exceeded CNY300 billion (USD44.6 billion), with the industry growing at an average annual rate of more than 20 percent over the past five years. In the first half, revenue surged 24.5 percent year on year to reach CNY165.5 billion.

Editor: Kim Taylor