- The new industry body aims to close gaps in testing and certification as China’s robotics sector moves toward mass production
- It will bring companies, research institutions and international certification bodies into a unified quality framework
Hangzhou has launched an industry alliance to develop quality standards and testing frameworks for embodied-intelligence robots, as the rapidly expanding sector moves from prototype demonstrations toward commercial deployment.
The Hangzhou Embodied Intelligence Industry Quality and Standards Innovation Alliance was established August 25 under the leadership of the city’s market regulator, local news portal Tidenews reported on August 28.
It brings together platforms including the national pilot base for embodied-intelligence applications and aims to connect standards development, testing, certification, intellectual property, pilot production and brand building.
Key industry
Embodied intelligence is a key industry within Hangzhou’s advanced manufacturing strategy. The city is home to more than 700 robotics-related companies, while its robotics industry generated more than 106.8 billion yuan ($15 billion) in output in 2025.
Hangzhou accounts for more than 80% of China’s quadruped-robot market and more than 50% of its humanoid-robot market, according to local authorities. The city is home to the nation’s two leading quadrupedal robot makers Unitree and DEEP Robotics (云深处科技).
Early-mover advantage
Hangzhou has also moved early to build a policy framework around the sector. In May, the Hangzhou Regulations on Promoting the Development of the Embodied-Intelligence Robot Industry took effect, becoming China’s first local regulation specifically targeting embodied-intelligence robots.
The city is now among the country’s first to combine dedicated legislation with a related industry action plan.
The push for common standards comes as the industry faces a growing gap between rapid technological advances and the supporting quality infrastructure.
Companies have increasingly been developing and deploying robots before standardized testing is available, while overseas certification and compliance requirements are often addressed only after products are ready for export.
The alliance is intended to address those gaps. Its members include robotics companies such as Unitree, WuBa Intelligent Tech (五八智能) and BrainCo (强脑科技), as well as CETC Group (中国电科集团), Shanghai Electrical Apparatus Research Institute (上海电器科学研究院) and the testing arm of the National Technical Committee on Robot Standardization.
First group standard
During its trial phase, the alliance developed what it describes as China’s first group standard for quality-management maturity in the humanoid-robot industry and identified 76 non-standard testing methods.
It is also building a product-verification framework covering basic safety, hardware performance, intelligent decision-making and scenario adaptability.
The alliance has worked with international certification bodies including TÜV Rheinland on a research report on testing and inspection for embodied-intelligence robots.
The goal is to bring compliance testing earlier into the product-development cycle, reducing certification costs and shortening the time needed to enter overseas markets.
Why it matters globally
For global buyers and investors, the initiative points to a less visible but increasingly important stage of China’s robotics expansion: building the quality infrastructure needed to support mass production and exports.
As companies such as Unitree and DEEP Robotics expand overseas, standardized testing and earlier certification could help turn Chinese robotics products from engineering demonstrations into commercially trusted products.
Header image credit: Hangzhou Bureau for Market Supervision
