New goals for robotics and smart manufacturing

At the turn of the year, China presented two Five-Year plans for the modernization of the industrial sector and the development of the robotics industry. Both plans are intended to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers. The Five-Year Plan for the industrial sector is aimed to boost research in key areas such as artificial intelligence, 5G, and Big Data. In addition, progress is to be made in so-called „smart manufacturing.“ By 2025, more than 70 percent of China’s major manufacturing companies are to be digitized.