NE China to build robot industrial base

Two robots dance during the 11th China International Equipment Manufacturing Expo in Shenyang, Liaoning province in this Sept 1, 2012 file photo. [Photo by Pan Xiaochuan/Asianewsphoto]

SHENYANG - A robot industrial base with an estimated annual output of 50 billion yuan (8 billion U.S. dollars) will be established in northeast China's Liaoning Province, local authorities said.

Located in Shenfu New Town, a development zone in Fushun City, the industrial base will cover an area of 5 square kilometers, said Zhao Qibin, deputy director of the town's management committee, at a press conference on Saturday.

According to Zhao, the industrial base will be completed by the end of 2017, and it will mostly develop robots and other intelligent equipment after academies and technical centers are established there.

The Liaoning provincial government has rolled out measures such as tax reductions and the entrance of venture capital to support the program, which Zhao said will be the country's largest robot industrial base by 2030.

The robot industry is gaining momentum in China, as robots are gradually replacing traditional human laborers, especially in the fields of rescue, assembly, printing, transportation and welding.

To promote the application of relevant technologies and products, the China Robot Industry Association was set up in Beijing on April 21.