In the northeastern port city of Dalian, the whirring of the lathe and body slender robot arm, on behalf of the Dalian machine tool group of Chinese manufacturing future comprehensive automation of wonderful imagination. But a closer look reveals, most machine console is printed with FANUC and Germany Siemens logo. Reuters today, the author said, although China to vigorously promote the development of the robot industry, but due to the technological gap, so foreign robot manufacturers still have obvious advantages.

Dalian machine tool group's import control system, which reflects the technological gap between China and foreign industrial automation enterprises, which is one of the major challenges for China in order to foster robotics industry in the country.

China's robotic company also suffered a weak economy and the automobile industry shrinking and other adverse situation, while the industry insiders expect the central government introduced policies to stimulate the development of the robot industry in a short span of 3 years, the market will appear bubble.

"Last year, everyone thought that he could produce a robot." Lee Rethink, director of Asian sales and business development at the Boston robotic company Robotics Alan, said, "when the market is saturated, it is going to start out and mergers and acquisitions. These companies will bear the brunt."

This scene in many emerging industries are deja vu. Photovoltaic panels are one of them: the central government's policies and subsidies have attracted a lot of low profit, low cost competitors into the market, but a lot of lack of their core technology, so it is difficult to fully rely on price competition.

A year ago, analysts are expected to achieve progress, and now, foreign executives said, because these companies are tightening capital investment, so they occupy a favorable position, can adapt to the temporary demand fluctuations, while observing the economic situation of china.

Outbreak of the industry

Need to be clear is that both overseas and local business executives, are convinced that China's determination to upgrade the manufacturing industry, but also recognized the long-term prospects of China's local robot industry to become a global leader.

As wages rise by 10% per year, Chinese policymakers are also concerned about the employment gap in some areas as high as 30%, so it is committed to promoting the development of the automation industry.

According to the International of Robotics (Federation), the amount of China's manufacturing robot was about 3000 units in 2012, up to 15000 units last year, the central government began to promote automation in this period.

At the same time, foreign manufacturing robot growth has been slowing, but still dominated China's major factories, installed capacity from 22000 units to 41000 units.

According to data from the China robot industry news website and Research Center OffWeek, government subsidies also spur China's robotic company to grow from 200 to 815 in two years.

But Baomin Wang, a senior analyst at the Shenzhen consulting company's core industry, said the company had a significant development work of up to 30.

"Those companies that have received subsidies simply don't feel any competition, and there is no complete mastery of technology." Wang Baomin said, "with the market distortions, I worry that the robot will repeat the mistakes of the photovoltaic industry Chinese."

Shenzhen robot maker Xu (Wenjiu LEN, transliteration) is expected, 1/3 of local robotic company will collapse in 3 years, because a lot of companies are not able to provide products for sale maintenance

The technology gap

Foreign robot manufacturers are still optimistic about the large number of Chinese competitors, at least for now.

Chunyuan Gu, head of the Chinese District of Robotics ABB, a Swiss robotic company, is not worried about the competition of Chinese companies because his company holds a major technical advantage. And at the same level as well as KUKA Germany and Japan yaskawa

The company also sells a robot to "bare metal" China enterprises, by them to the factory after the final sale of product customization

Ma Junqing, President of Dalian machine tool group (Junqing Ma, transliteration) acknowledged that Chinese enterprises and foreign competitors in the robot and automation technology, there is a significant gap".

But he said his company has developed an advanced robotic arm for 3 years, and hopes to compete with Japan in 3 years, and 5 years after Germany's competitors.

"The complete product chain takes a long time, because we need to develop technology, develop the market." Ma Junqing said. Dalian machine tool group has been closely linked with the government, and received subsidies and loans.

However, Shanghai SIASUN Robot Automation Co., Ltd., and other local enterprises are regarded as the advanced technology in the field of robotics, and Dalian machine tool group and Shenyang machine tool group and other companies in the traditional machine tool business to expand investment, develop more sophisticated products.

Robotics Rethink founder Rodney Brooks (Brooks Rodney) for the Chinese local government to provide advisory services, he is expected to take into account the investment and technology required by the robot industry, the Chinese robot industry leading enterprises will be born in a group of unexpected public.

He referred to the e-commerce giant Alibaba, the company has with Foxconn and Softbank joint investment of robot technology, which has become rather similar to that of the robot industry an important force in the Amazon.

"It may not be a traditional robot business, but China is still in the midst of a revolution." Brooks said.