(Yicai) Aug. 25 -- Robust international demand is prompting Chinese humanoid robot makers to accelerate their global expansion, with companies increasingly targeting markets in Europe, East Asia and Southeast Asia for applications ranging from agriculture to manufacturing, Yicai learned at the recent World Robot Conference in Beijing.

“We have already shipped our first batch of humanoid robots to France, and South Korea could be our next overseas market,” Wang Yingyun, co-founder of Unbounded Dynamics, told Yicai.

Unbounded Dynamics’ foreign partners are mainly European auto-parts manufacturers and international energy companies. The Beijing-based firm is preparing to expand its footprint in South Korea, where high labor costs are driving strong interest in commercial robot applications. South Korea’s geographic proximity to China makes it easier for the company to set up business operations there.

Jack Perry, chairman of the London-based 48 Group Club that promotes trade between China and the UK, presented a report on “European Robot Procurement Demand” at the conference, highlighting construction, logistics and warehousing, hospitality and catering, retail services and agriculture as key areas of interest.

“Don’t rush European companies into buying robots immediately. Let them use the robots for a month or two first,” Perry said. He recommended a “try before you buy” approach, allowing European firms to deploy robots in real-world environments and assess their performance before deciding whether to place larger orders.

The agricultural sector is also emerging as a key focus for global expansion. Maimai Technology Group, in collaboration with several robot manufacturers, has secured overseas orders for 20,000 units this year, said founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Li Nan.

“We provide the embodied ‘brain,’ while our partner companies supply the physical robots. The robots are mainly designed for agricultural tasks involving crops that have high economic value but face labor shortages, such as rubber, durian and palm,” Li said.

Malaysia’s rubber plantations, for example, face significant labor shortages, particularly for dangerous and physically demanding tasks such as nighttime rubber tapping.

While foreign customers generally have a stronger willingness to pay, product deployment can be more challenging, Li said. In Southeast Asia, for example, it is difficult to find local engineers capable of installing and deploying the systems. To address this, Maimai has set up its first overseas subsidiary and Association of South-East Asian Nations’ headquarters in Malaysia, where it plans to hire local after-sales service staff to support business operations. The Beijing-based firm aims to deliver 1,000 agricultural robots this year.

China’s humanoid robot shipments exceeded 40,000 units in the first half, accounting for 97 percent of global deliveries, according to industry data.

Editor: Kim Taylor