Japan industrial robot orders rose 40% to a record ¥312.7 billion as AI spending accelerated
创业邦 · wechat · 2026-07-28
Japan’s industrial robot orders hit a record in Q2
Japan Robot Association data shows industrial robot orders from April to June 2026 rose 40% year over year to ¥312.7 billion, a new quarterly high. It was the eighth straight quarter of growth and the first time the figure crossed ¥300 billion, with automation upgrades and AI-related investment cited as the main drivers.
Alibaba 1688 launches an AI-native customization agent
Alibaba’s 1688 has rolled out “Xiangzao Agent” on app and PC as an early-stage AI agent for flexible manufacturing. It currently supports printing and 3D printing across more than 20 light-customization categories, including packaging, apparel, cultural products, event materials, fan goods, and molded 3D items.
Robotics, space, and data-collection capacity keep scaling in China
- China Aerospace Science and Industry’s “Mingfeng” LOX-methane engine has passed 6,000 seconds of cumulative hot-fire testing and targets delivery in the first half of 2027.
- Commercial crew-space startup Chuanyuezhe has begun partner selection for launch services, locking in plans for 30 future launches.
- Lingchu Intelligence says it is building large-scale data collection centers nationwide and aims to reach 1 million hours of data by year-end.
- Beijing E-Town reported first-half output growth of 12.3% for its robotics and smart-manufacturing sector.
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