UBTECH humanoid venture targets 10,000 robot sales by 2030

UBTECH has formed a joint venture with C&D Inc targeting sales of at least 10,000 humanoid robots by 2030, according to Global Times. The partnership will focus on applications within C&D Inc’s supply chain operations and real estate businesses, including logistics, warehousing, security inspection and urban public space services. UBTECH’s statement to the newspaper presents the figure as a sales goal, rather than an order secured by the venture.

The UBTECH humanoid venture will operate the “UBTECH Ecological Technology Center Fujian Headquarters.” Shenzhen-based UBTECH plans to combine its robot technology and products with the commercial channels of C&D Inc, which is based in Xiamen, Fujian. The planned center has a broader remit than sales: UBTECH says it will provide operation and maintenance support, talent training, application research and development, equipment sharing, leasing and sales. Those functions put deployment support alongside market expansion in the partnership’s scope, giving the venture responsibilities beyond placing robots with customers.

The companies also plan to explore supply chain finance support to lower the barrier to large deployments, according to UBTECH’s statement. Leasing and financing are therefore part of the proposed commercial offering, alongside the machines and their maintenance. In an earlier interview with Global Times, UBTECH vice president Pang Jianxin predicted that industrial settings could be the first to support large scale humanoid use in China, citing potential labor shortages and efficiency gains. This partnership spans a wider set of intended applications, with C&D Inc’s supply chain and property businesses providing the focus for the companies’ application cooperation.

Source: globaltimes.cn