On the morning of August 20, the World Robot Conference (WRC) 2022 was unveiled in Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area. Cai Qi, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Party Committee, Wan Gang, Vice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and President of China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), Jin Zhuanglong, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), Zhang Yuzhuo, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group, Vice President and Chief Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of CAST, and Chen Jining, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and Mayor of Beijing, attended the opening ceremony and pressed the start button of the conference.
Jin Zhuanglong spoke at the conference that the robotics industry is an important indicator of a country's strengths in science and technology and high-end manufacturing. The MIIT will focus on innovation-driven and application-oriented development, enhance basic technologies, and encourage integrated development. It will also foster an open and cooperative industrial ecosystem, thus promoting the high-quality development of the robotics industry. To consolidate the foundation of the industry, an action plan will be launched to improve the basic technologies of essential robot components and more high-end intelligent products will be created. To expand the industrial application, mature used cases will be promoted at a faster pace and efforts will be redoubled in product innovation of the information sector. To cultivate high-quality enterprises, the MIIT will support businesses under all types of ownership to develop in niche markets, encourage key enterprises to play an exemplary role, and build an ecology under which enterprises of all sizes pursue development through collaboration. Efforts will also be made to train professional and technical personnel, strengthen protection of intellectual property rights, and cultivate a number of competitive and unique clusters with strong innovation capacity and sound industrial environment, thus fostering a market-oriented, law-based, and international business environment.
Zhang Yuzhuo expressed that the World Robot Conference has become the largest and most important global event for robotics industry in China. We hope that scientists and scientific professionals will continue to develop global frontier technologies and use research outcomes to serve the economy, promote national development, improve the life and health of our people, and make breakthroughs in core technologies, thus bringing about more innovations for industrial development. Leading enterprises in the sector shall play the principal role in innovation, and promote the application of basic technologies, thus fostering an ecology of synergy between industry and academia. He also hoped that a platform for popular science education could be built in China, as companies make smart technology more applicable, so that the general public can share in the benefits brought by robotic innovation, thus increasing people's knowledge of the latest innovations. Robotic organizations and scientists shall extend trust and cooperation, to deliver greater benefits to the people with artificial intelligence, and build a bridge of cooperation and openness for science and technology. The CAST is willing to work with colleagues across the world to develop science and technology for the common good and draw a new blueprint for smart technologies.
Chen Jining said that by taking robotics as an important strategy for developing high-end, precision and cutting-edge industries, Beijing has witnessed a wave of innovative results in this sector and has become one of the cities with the most dynamic innovation and entrepreneurship in robotics. Beijing will formulate and implement a new round of action plans for the innovation and development of the robotics industry. Efforts will be made to the integrated development of a complete supply chain covering R&D, design and manufacturing, so as to form an industry layout that gathers innovation resources and supply chains. More innovation platforms that coordinate different sectors will be launched to supply more innovation elements and improve the ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship. Beijing will continue to expand application cases and implement the "Robot Plus" plan to drive the market, so as to build the city into a global pacesetter in innovation and application of robotics. Domestic and foreign enterprises and institutions are welcome to Beijing for investment and businesses. Together, we will create a bright future for the robotics industry.
José Vieira, President of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations, delivered a speech via video link. After the opening ceremony, the leaders visited the exhibition areas of essential robotic components, special robots and smart agriculture. Themed as "Innovation, Sharing and Joint Consultation for Win-Win Results", the WRC 2022 focused on cutting-edge technologies and applications in the robotics field. By fully displaying the new technologies, new products, new models and new business forms, it has served as a professional and international platform for industrial exchanges and cooperation, which can promote technological innovation, academic exchanges, enterprise services, and talent development in the robotics industry and facilitate technological and industrial innovation in robotics.
Robot Dog Show
Leaders from relevant central departments and the government of the Beijing Municipality, domestic and foreign experts and scholars, and business representatives attended the conference online and offline.
(Written by: Liu Feifei, Yang Qi)
