Service robots set to take center stage at Canton Fair

Service robots are expected to become a new growth engine for transactions at the upcoming session of the China Import and Export Fair, underscoring China's innovation strength and bolstering efforts to help service robot companies seize opportunities to expand into international markets, according to the event's organizers.

Transactions in the service robotics industry have exceeded expectations since April after a dedicated service robotics zone was established for the first time during the fair's 137th session, with 46 Chinese robotics companies demonstrating prowess in the sector, the organizers said.

"With continued efforts from both suppliers and buyers during and after the previous session, it is expected that the impact of the zone will be even more significant at the upcoming session," said Zhu Yong, director-general of China Foreign Trade Center.

As of September, 22 Chinese companies in the service robotics industry have reached orders amounting to $19.27 million after the previous session of the fair, while 37 companies have been busy in negotiations with clients for orders totaling $28.57 million, according to the fair's organizers.

Due to longer negotiation cycles for new products, additional orders are expected to follow in the coming months, the organizers said.

According to an analysis by research firm Precedence Research, the global market size for service robots reached $54.5 billion in 2024, with an expected average annual growth rate of 15 percent over the next decade.

"By leveraging its unique advantages in organizing specialized exhibitions, the fair will help service robot companies seize opportunities to expand into international markets," said Zhu.

The event, popularly known as the Canton Fair and widely seen as a barometer of China's foreign trade, will kick off its 138th session on Wednesday in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province. The fair is held twice a year in spring and autumn.

More than 207,000 buyers from 217 export markets have pre-registered for the fair's upcoming session, reflecting a 14.1 percent increase from the previous session, according to the organizers.

As more buyers recognize the vast potential of the service robot market, they have accelerated their business plans and expanded procurements for the fair's 138th session, according to the organizers.

For example, after the previous session, French company TOMAX ASIA and German company TGI Technology Ltd have independently established robotics departments specifically to handle the procurement of intelligent cleaning, lawn mowing and pool cleaning robots.

After testing the market with a Chinese coffee robot, Turkish home appliance company Arzum received a positive response and now plans to establish a dedicated product line on the sales end, according to the organizers.

Transactions registered since the previous session have helped draw more Chinese companies in the service robotics industry to participate in the fair's upcoming session, according to the organizers.

The service robotics zone will be established again at the fair's 138th session, featuring 46 industry-leading companies to showcase intelligent products such as embodied robots and robotic dogs, the organizers said.

Additionally, the fair will feature a dedicated zone for the smart healthcare industry for the first time to better showcase China's advanced products and technologies in the medical field.