UBTECH Zhou Jian: Robots will primarily replace jobs that are hard to recruit for and involve difficult environments. In the future, humans will engage more in artistic and other innovative work. [Includes Humanoid Robot Industry Market Analysis]

（Image source: Jietu.com）

“Now at the Wenzhou factory, most of the workers are older. Young girls would rather go out to deliver food than work in a simple, repetitive, and monotonous factory environment.”

Recently, in an interview program, Zhou Jian, the founder of UBTECH, Chairman of the Board and CEO, said that robots first replace jobs that are difficult to recruit for and have harsh working conditions.

Zhou Jian believes that the shortage of industrial population allows a country to hollow out its manufacturing sector. As an aging society arrives, labor costs will keep rising. If China does not use robots while others do, then 10 or 20 years from now, our manufacturing advantages—or cost advantages—will be wiped out. "

He also pointed out that if, in the future, humanoid robots can be able to be implemented across all job roles in 10 or 20 years, they indeed can offset the shortage of industrial population in some countries in Europe and the U.S., and at the same time they further reduce manufacturing costs.

Data show that in 2021, the proportion of China’s elderly population aged 65 and above exceeded 14%, meaning that China has entered a moderately aged stage. Since then, this trend has accelerated: in 2024, the population aged 65 and above reached 220 million people, up 1.38% year over year, and its share of the total population rose to 15.60%, an increase of 5.1 percentage points compared with 10.50% in 2015.

Meanwhile, the trend of low fertility continues, and the demographic dividend effect is gradually weakening. Under the dual pressures of a shrinking labor supply and rising costs, the labor model of traditional manufacturing industries is no longer sustainable. The Forward-looking Industry Research Institute notes that in this context, humanoid robots have become a key link in easing the imbalance between labor supply and demand in manufacturing. They can complete complex tasks such as assembly, sorting, and testing in non-structured manufacturing environments. In addition, the deployment of humanoid robots in industrial scenarios replaces high-risk and repetitive labor, provides elderly-friendly services in an aging society, and enables special-operation settings such as firefighting/fire prevention and inspection. This is both what the people’s livelihood and industry demand call for, and an important driving force to support comprehensive economic upgrading in the future.

Morgan Stanley predicts that from 2026 to 2050, China’s humanoid robot sales will surge from 14k units to 5.42 million units, and the average selling price of products will also keep falling, greatly improving cost-effectiveness. This means that whoever can achieve large-scale verification and cost breakthroughs first in industrial scenarios will be able to lead the manufacturing landscape of the next era.

Zhou Jian believes that the tremendous enrichment of social productivity can allow humans to live better lives. “In the future, humans should do more creative work such as art and philosophy.”

Forward-looking Economics and People APP Information Group

For more research and analysis in this industry, see the Forward-looking Industry Research Institute’s report titled “China Humanoid Robot (Bionic Human) Industry Development Prospect Forecast and Investment Strategy Planning Analysis Report”

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