Shanghai to lead China's industrial robot development

China's industrial robot market will maintain a growth rate of 20 to 25 percent in coming years, and Shanghai will cement its position as it contributes around 70 percent of the nation's output, an official said.

"Thanks to market drive and government support, Shanghai has become a national center of robot research, development and production," said Zhou Bo, deputy mayor of Shanghai, during the 4th China Robot Industry Summit.

Robot makers from home and abroad have established either regional headquarters or research and development bases in the city.

The summit is a sideline forum under the 17th China International Industry Fair that began on Tuesday. In the past three years, the robot exhibition area, as a miniature of the nation's robot industry development, has expanded from 7,000 square meters to 28,800 sq m this year, according to Dai Liu, chairman of Shanghai Robot Industry Association.