The 2025 "Government Work Report" emphasizes establishing a mechanism for future industry investment growth and nurturing emerging industries such as biomanufacturing, quantum technology, Embodied Intelligence, and 6G. Notably, Embodied Intelligence makes its debut in the report, signaling the dawn of a new era in this field.

01

Embodied Intelligence Industry Chain

Embodied Intelligence represents an intelligent form where agents interact with the environment in real-time through physical carriers, forming a perception-decision-action closed loop. This concept transcends the traditional AI notion of "disembodiment," emphasizing that intelligence must be cultivated and embodied through continuous body-environment interaction.

Figure: Structure of Embodied Intelligence

Source: Compiled by Firestone Creation based on public information

The Embodied Intelligence industry chain encompasses three core segments: upstream, midstream, and downstream.

The upstream focuses on core hardware, basic materials, and software systems, encompassing key technologies like chips, sensors, controllers, motors, communication modules, energy management, AI algorithms, and cloud services. The midstream involves the manufacturing of Embodied Intelligence products, which come in diverse forms and require selecting the optimal carrier based on specific tasks and environmental demands. Among them, humanoid robots stand out as a quintessential form of Embodied Intelligence due to their highly biomimetic structure and flexible adaptability. The downstream encompasses a wide range of application scenarios, including industrial manufacturing, service industries, healthcare, education and entertainment, transportation, and public safety, driving the deep integration of intelligent technology into the physical world.

02

Corporate Landscape

Global technology enterprises are accelerating their foray into the realm of Embodied Intelligence. Domestic players in this field primarily include technology giants, robotics companies, and new energy vehicle enterprises, such as Huawei, BYD, Tencent, Xiaomi, Unitree Robotics, UBTECH, and iFLYTEK. Concurrently, a new generation of Embodied Intelligence companies has emerged.

Table: Representative Embodied Intelligence Enterprises (Partial)

Source: Compiled by Firestone Creation based on public information

03

Representative Cities

As an emerging hotspot in artificial intelligence and a pivotal direction for future industry development, Embodied Intelligence has prompted various regions to introduce a series of policy guidelines aimed at fostering its accelerated growth. According to statistics, over 20 cities in China have explicitly outlined plans for the development of Embodied Intelligence. Among them, Beijing, Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Hangzhou lead the pack due to their comprehensive advantages in technology, industry, and ecosystem.

Beijing

As the cradle of national AI innovation, Beijing has established Embodied Intelligence as the core direction for the development of the new generation of AI. The "Beijing Embodied Intelligence Technological Innovation and Industrial Cultivation Action Plan (2025-2027)" released in February aims to cultivate a 100 billion-yuan industrial cluster and establish an Embodied Intelligence industrial ecosystem with international influence.

According to the Firestone Creation Industrial Data Center, Haidian District has already amassed nearly 300 Embodied Intelligence enterprises, over 20 humanoid robot manufacturers, and 21 institutions offering Embodied Intelligence and robotics-related majors, forming a comprehensive Embodied Intelligence industry chain centered around "brain, cerebellum, and body".

Areas of Strength

Leading enterprises in industrial and collaborative robots: Siasun Robotics (leading domestic industrial robot), Petian Robotics (SCARA robot), Aubo Robotics (collaborative robot), etc. Technical highlights include force control algorithms, flexible grasping (such as Aubo's i-series collaborative robots), and digital twin platforms.

Clinical transformation of medical robots: Tianzhihang (orthopedic surgery robot), Brainnav (neurosurgical navigation), and Hehuaruibo (interventional surgery). Scientific research support comes from collaborations between Jishuitan Hospital and Peking Union Medical College Hospital with universities for clinical trials and the promotion of domestic equipment certification.

Special robots and embodied AI large model scenario implementation: Xinghang Electromechanical (aerospace inspection robot), CloudMinds Technology (hotel delivery), and ERNIE Bot large model integration to enhance scenario decision-making capabilities.

Beijing boasts a competitive edge in industrial collaboration and medical surgical robots, poised to become the "source of high-end robot innovation." The deep integration of its scientific research advantages and scenario needs could expedite the transformation of Embodied Intelligence from laboratory technology to high value-added industries, aiding Beijing in building a "global digital economy benchmark city".

Shanghai

Shanghai serves as a benchmark city for Embodied Intelligence industry technology research and development, incorporating Embodied Intelligence into one of the five key areas of the "Shaping Shanghai" program. Focusing on areas such as humanoid robot scenario applications and Embodied Intelligence classification, it has formulated the country's first batch of group standards and opened the country's first heterogeneous humanoid robot training ground in Pudong Zhangjiang. Leveraging its advantages in high-end manufacturing, medical resources, and international hubs, Shanghai has forged a distinctive development pattern of "industry + healthcare + international collaboration".

Areas of Strength

High-end industrial robots

Gathering of international leaders: Foreign enterprises like ABB, Fanuc, and KUKA have established R&D centers in Shanghai, focusing on industrial robots for automobile manufacturing and precision processing scenarios. Local enterprise breakthroughs: Newstart (servo system), JAKA Robotics (collaborative robot), and other enterprises have made strides in the localization of core components.

Medical robot surgical robots: Intuitive Surgical (local production of the da Vinci system) and MicroPort Robotics (TuMai laparoscopic surgical robot) command a significant domestic market share. Rehabilitation and assistance: Fourier Intelligence (rehabilitation exoskeleton), Siyi Intelligence (stroke rehabilitation robot), and local tertiary hospitals collaborate on clinical verification.

Autonomous driving and logistics testing base: The Lingang New Area has constructed an autonomous driving closed test area to support L4 technology verification by companies such as SAIC and Tesla. Warehousing applications: Geekplus (warehousing AGV) and Quicktron (intelligent sorting) serve e-commerce and port logistics needs.

Through the trinity model of "international resources + high-end manufacturing + clinical scenarios," Shanghai has cultivated differentiated competitiveness in the field of Embodied Intelligence and is expected to emerge as a pivotal player in the global Embodied Intelligence industry, particularly in medical robots and industrial intelligence.

Shenzhen

As the vanguard of scientific and technological innovation in China, Shenzhen boasts notable advantages in the manufacturing of Embodied Intelligence entities. Relying on its electronics industry ecosystem, supply chain prowess, and open environment, Shenzhen is becoming a pivotal player in China's Embodied Intelligence industry. According to the Firestone Creation Industrial Data Center, Shenzhen hosts over 50,000 robotics-related enterprises, with more than 30 listed companies, and 7 enterprises featured in Morgan Stanley's top 100 global humanoid robot listed companies list.

Shenzhen released the "Shenzhen Embodied Intelligence Robot Technological Innovation and Industrial Development Action Plan (2025-2027)" on March 3, aiming for the related industry scale to exceed 100 billion yuan by 2027, with over 1,200 enterprises related to the Embodied Intelligence robot industrial cluster.

Areas of Strength

Leading enterprises in consumer-grade robots and drones: DJI (global drone leader), UBTECH (humanoid robot), Silver Star Intelligence (cleaning robot), etc. Technical highlights include multi-sensor fusion, SLAM navigation algorithm, and human-computer interaction design (such as UBTECH's Walker robot).

Logistics and delivery robot scenario implementation: Pudu Technology (catering delivery), HAI Robotics (warehousing AGV) iterate rapidly in local catering and e-commerce warehouses. Cluster effect: The "Robot Town" in Longgang, Shenzhen, houses over 300 related enterprises, covering core components like navigation and drive systems.

Edge computing and computer vision chip support: Horizon Robotics (autonomous driving chip), Rockchip (AIoT chip) provide computing power for robots. Algorithm breakthroughs: SenseTime and RoboSense (lidar) equip robots with environmental perception and decision-making capabilities.

Overall, Shenzhen excels in consumer-grade robots, logistics and delivery robots, and the low-altitude economy. With breakthroughs in domestic chips and deepening Shenzhen-Hong Kong scientific and technological collaboration, Shenzhen is poised to achieve autonomy across the entire "end-edge-cloud" chain of Embodied Intelligence, becoming the "Capital of Intelligent Robots" in the Greater Bay Area. Its ability to swiftly respond to market demands could accelerate the transition of Embodied Intelligence technology from the laboratory to everyday life.

Hangzhou

As a model for scenario-based innovation in China's Embodied Intelligence industry, Hangzhou has leveraged its pioneering advantage in the digital economy and the deeply integrated "industry-university-research-application" mechanism to forge a unique development path of "technological breakthrough - scenario verification - industrial empowerment." Hangzhou's development of Embodied Intelligence focuses heavily on the field of humanoid robots. In December 2024, Hangzhou released the "Hangzhou Humanoid Robot Industry Development Plan (2024-2029)", prioritizing "optimal body + powerful brain" and accelerating the construction of an integrated innovation system and comprehensive industrial chain ecosystem for humanoid robot development, design, manufacturing, and application.

Areas of Strength

Leading enterprises in humanoid robots and legged robots: Unitree Robotics (general humanoid robot H1, Unitree B2-W industrial wheeled-legged robot), CloudMinds Technology (Absolute Zero series), Zhejiang Humanoid Robot Innovation Center (Navigator 2), etc. Market position: Unitree Robotics holds over 60% of the quadruped robot market; CloudMinds Technology's substation inspection quadruped robot commands over 90% of the domestic market share.

Leading enterprises in logistics, security, and warehousing robots: Cainiao Network (logistics automation), Hikvision (mobile robot), LIBIAO Robotics (sorting AGV). Technical highlights include large-scale cluster scheduling algorithms and multi-modal sensor fusion (such as Cainiao's "Xiaomanlv" delivery robot).

Service robot and digital human scenario implementation: CloudMinds Technology (hotel delivery) and Rokid (AR glasses interaction), invested by Yinxing Valley Capital. Virtual embodiment: Xiangxin Technology (digital human drive) provides solutions for e-commerce live streaming and virtual customer service.

Hangzhou's Embodied Intelligence development has entered a virtuous cycle of "technological breakthrough - scenario implementation - industrial feedback," ranking among the top domestically in humanoid robots, commercial services, and smart cities.

Currently, the Embodied Intelligence industry is fueled by both policy and market forces. Numerous regions across the country have listed it as a key development area, accelerating the construction of the industrial ecosystem and the commercialization of technology through specialized policy support and resource allocation. In the future, with continuous breakthroughs in core technologies and the expansive application of scenarios, Embodied Intelligence will spawn new economic growth points, reshape production and lifestyle through intelligent transformation, and inject robust momentum into high-quality economic and social development.

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Author | Wang Juan, Firestone Creation

Reviewer | Yin Li, Firestone Creation