China's Jiangsu prioritizes embodied robotics as key future

This photo taken on March 17, 2026 shows robots at a workshop of Inovance Group in Jiangning District of Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province.

In recent years, east China's Jiangsu Province has prioritized embodied robotics as a key future industry. Innovation centers and data collection and training hubs for embodied AI robots have been established in cities including Nanjing, Suzhou and Wuxi. A provincial embodied robotics industry alliance has also been formed, bringing together nearly 300 members, including manufacturers, research institutes, end users and financial institutions, to support the sector's development. In industrial robotics, Jiangsu is home to leading companies such as Estun Automation and Inovance Group, and has developed an integrated ecosystem covering both complete robots and core components. Exports of industrial robots from the province have maintained rapid growth.

For future development, Jiangsu plans to build on policy support and industrial platforms to accelerate the development of a national robotics innovation hub, helping bring research results to the production line and inject fresh momentum into the high-quality development of manufacturing. (Xinhua/Ji Chunpeng)

An AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) transports a robot in a workshop of Inovance Group in Jiangning District of Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, on March 17, 2026.(Xinhua/Ji Chunpeng)

An aerial photo taken on March 10, 2026 shows an artificial intelligence robotics innovation center in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Xinhua/Li Bo)

An employee checks robots' information in a workshop of Inovance Group in Jiangning District of Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, on March 17, 2026. (Xinhua/Ji Chunpeng)

An employee tests a robot before its delivery in a workshop of Inovance Group in Jiangning District of Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, on March 17, 2026. (Xinhua/Ji Chunpeng)

An employee demonstrates how a robot can be used in different scenarios at the Suzhou Embodied Artificial Intelligence Robotics Innovation Center in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, on March 10, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Bo)

A humanoid robot greets people at an artificial intelligence distribution center in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, on Dec. 4, 2025. (Xinhua/Ji Chunpeng)

Robots are being tested before their delivery in a workshop of Inovance Group in Jiangning District of Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, on March 17, 2026. (Xinhua/Ji Chunpeng)

An employee works on the production line at a workshop of Inovance Group in Jiangning District of Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, on March 17, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Bo)

This photo taken on March 10, 2026 shows a bionic hand displayed at the Suzhou Embodied Artificial Intelligence Robotics Innovation Center in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Xinhua/Li Bo)

People watch a humanoid robot train in multiple training scenarios at the Suzhou Embodied Artificial Intelligence Robotics Innovation Center in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, on March 10, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Bo)

A robot is being tested before its delivery in a workshop of Inovance Group in Jiangning District of Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, on March 17, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Bo)

An employee tests a humanoid robot at MagicAtom in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, on March 10, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Bo)