World Robot Conference (WRC) 2026 opened in Beijing on August 20 as China’s robotics sector entered a more demanding phase. The event coincided with Unitree Robotics’ IPO, which pushed the company’s market capitalization above RMB 400 billion (USD 59.4 billion) at its peak, adding momentum to an already crowded market.
This year’s WRC drew more than 300 exhibitors, up about 40% from a year earlier, with roughly 3,000 robots on display.
The newcomers included not only another fresh crop of startups, but also potential customers. According to 36Kr, 49 centrally administered state-owned enterprises attended as a group, bringing 12 real-world engineering scenarios across power grids, aerospace, mining, metallurgy, and other fields in search of robotics solutions.
WRC expanded to four halls, one more than last year. Hall C centered on complete humanoid systems, while halls A and D focused on deployment scenarios. Hall B featured upstream suppliers, together forming a rough cross-section of the embodied intelligence value chain. Global chipmakers including AMD, Infineon, and Realtek also appeared in hall B, seeking business from a new generation of robotics companies.
The conference offered a useful view of where the industry is heading. After walking the 52,000-square-meter venue, 36Kr found that exhibitors appeared to be under less pressure to sell a distant vision and more pressure to answer immediate questions:
