Tianjin's robot exports register sharp surge in first half of 2026

Robot exports from north China's Tianjin Municipality have seen explosive growth in the first half of the year, with robotics set to become a new pillar industry fueling economic growth.

Statistics from port city's customs showed the city's robot exports hit 1.08 billion yuan (about 160 million U.S. dollars) in the first six months of the year, marking an almost 488 percent year-on-year jump.

According to robotics developer Tianjin Lonyu Robot, the company is assembling customized heavy-duty automated guided vehicles (AGVs) around the clock to be shipped to clients across the world.

Powered by AI technology, the unmanned carriers rely on real-time data sensing and dynamic model computing to deliver high-precision autonomous navigation and efficient collaborative operations in complex scenarios, drastically upgrading the flexibility and automation of industrial park logistics.

"So far, our overseas orders are valued at around 150 million yuan. We mainly export to the U.S., India and South Korea, and heavy-duty vehicles are our core export products. Moreover, our domestic and overseas orders are already fully scheduled for the next three months," said Ren Zhiyong, chairman of the company.

Apart from industrial robots, many enterprises in Tianjin have geared their pursuits toward the consumer robot sector. High-end products like robotic pool cleaners are now tapping into overseas markets.

Wybotics, a major global manufacturer of these pool cleaners, said that its robots can thoroughly clean a small courtyard swimming pool in just five minutes. The equipment works autonomously underwater while creeping against pool walls, effortlessly drawing in floating dust, gravel and other debris.

"Our overseas sales have exceeded 600,000 units this year, and our products are sold to more than 50 countries worldwide," said Zhu Xiao, general deputy manager of the firm.

Tianjin's robot exports register sharp surge in first half of 2026

China has accumulated more than 1.7 million valid invention patents in strategic emerging industries by the end of June this year, said the spokesman for the China National Intellectual Property Administration on Wednesday.

Spokesman Rui Wenbiao, also the deputy director of the administration, said at a press conference in Beijing that China will continue to improve its intellectual property rights protection system for industry.

The intellectual property protection system in emerging fields is constantly innovating. We have released the Guidelines for Patent Applications Related to Artificial Intelligence and revised the Patent Examination Guidelines, adding a chapter on 'AI and Big Data'. By the end of June, China, excluding Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, had 1.746 million valid invention patents in strategic emerging industries, an increase of 4.3 percent from the end of last year. The 65 approved intellectual property operation centers include 48 ones involved in emerging and future industries such as integrated circuits, biomedicine, aerospace, and 6G, accounting for more than 70 percent of the total," said Rui.

"Next, we will focus on the development and practices of different industries in emerging fields, provide better authorization and rights confirmation models for their development, and define clearer rights ownership, protection scope and protection forms to promote the high-quality development of emerging and future industries," he said.

China's invention patents exceed 1.7 mln in strategic emerging industries