- The city plans to raise industrial robot density to 600 per 10,000 workers and expand AI-powered manufacturing
- The new initiative also targets 500 advanced smart factories and 2,000 AI applications in manufacturing
Shanghai has launched a new smart manufacturing initiative that aims to put 8,000 humanoid robots to work in factories by 2028, as the city seeks to deepen the use of artificial intelligence in industry.
Unveiled on October 12 at the opening of the 26th China International Industry Fair held in Shanghai, the plan also sets a target of 600 industrial robots per 10,000 workers by 2028.
It also aims to grow the AI-enabled smart manufacturing equipment industry beyond 200 billion yuan ($29.9 billion) and the smart manufacturing systems integration sector to 100 billion yuan.
AI moves into factories
The initiative comprises four programs covering technology supply, AI-driven manufacturing innovation, the development of smart factories and industrial ecosystem building, supported by 19 key tasks.
Other targets include ensuring that all of Shanghai’s key manufacturers adopt smart factory technologies and developing 500 advanced-level smart factories.
The city also aims to deploy AI in more than 2,000 manufacturing scenarios, develop 10 industry-specific large language models and launch 300 advanced AI agents.
Building on existing strengths
Shanghai already has a substantial smart manufacturing base. The city has developed two national-level pioneer smart factories and 28 excellence-level smart factories, maintaining its leading position among Chinese cities for several years, according to the city’s figures.
Its smart manufacturing systems integration industry is worth more than 60 billion yuan, while output from smart manufacturing equipment exceeds 150 billion yuan.
Shanghai describes itself as China’s largest cluster for smart manufacturing systems integration and equipment.
Industrial robot density has also risen rapidly. Shanghai began tracking the metric in 2023, when it stood at 260 robots per 10,000 workers.
By 2025, it had exceeded 500, according to the city, reaching levels comparable to those of leading countries such as South Korea, Japan and Singapore.
The new targets would build on that progress, while testing whether humanoid robots and AI-powered equipment can move from pilot deployments into broader factory operations.
Header image generated by ByteDance’s Doubao AI
