- Singaporean security firm explores robotics applications in security, inspection and facility operations with new unit incorporated in Hangzhou
- Hangzhou expands real-world testing infrastructure as embodied AI deployment accelerates at home and abroad
Singaporean security and operations provider Certis Group signed cooperation agreements with a group of Hangzhou robotics companies this week, as the company deepens its push into embodied AI and autonomous security applications in China.
The agreements were announced on May 14 at a high-profile robotics industry event in Hangzhou, one day before the opening of the 2026 Hangzhou International Embodied Robot Scenario Application Competition in Yunqi Town.
Neither organizers nor domestic media disclosed which Chinese robotics firms participated in the signing.
The competition, held from May 15 to 16, is China’s first major robotics contest centered entirely on real-world application scenarios rather than staged demonstrations.
Owned by Singapore sovereign wealth fund Temasek Holdings, Certis provides integrated security and operational services spanning airport security, auxiliary policing and facilities management.
Founded in 1958, the company has long operated in complex environments including Singapore Changi Airport and is now exploring how embodied AI and robotics systems could be deployed in similar real-world operational settings.
Hangzhou has already emerged as a testing ground for such technologies. DEEP Robotics (云深处科技) began working with Singapore Power Group in late 2024 to deploy X30 quadruped robots for tunnel and underground pipeline inspections.
Certis further expanded its local presence by registering a subsidiary, Anruishi (安睿视), in Hangzhou’s Xihu district on April 30—also where the embodied AI competition was held—aiming to strengthen collaboration with local robotics and embodied AI companies.
The company’s interest in Hangzhou reflects the city’s rapidly growing footprint in robotics ecosystem and real-world deployment infrastructure.
Last October, Xihu district launched Hangzhou’s humanoid robot pilot testing and application promotion center, which includes roughly 1,500 mu, or 1 million square meters, of indoor and outdoor testing grounds — equivalent to about 140 standard football fields.
They cover scenarios such as emergency response and industrial inspection. Robots from across China are tested there daily under simulated operational conditions.
Hangzhou provides Certis with an important window into the development of embodied AI applications, Raahul Kumar, Senior executive leading international businesses, robotics, and enterprise strategy at Certis.
He added that the company plans to work with robotics firms in Hangzhou and Zhejiang to explore solutions for real operational environments.
Local officials are also leveraging the competition as a platform to court broader industry participation.
Qian Xianxin, Xihu’s vice governor, said top-performing robotics teams could gain access to financing support, testing scenarios and commercial promotion opportunities as the district works to expand real-world deployment opportunities for embodied AI companies.
