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In a Race With China, German Robots Are Outnumbered 14 to 1 (www.nytimes.com)
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[-] tardigrade@scribe.disroot.org 7 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

... A decade ago, European regulators gave a Chinese appliance manufacturer, Midea, the green light to acquire Kuka, one of Germany’s leading robotics companies ... Today ... the number of robot installations in German factories is forecast to fall for the third straight year, while China’s rollout intensifies, according to the International Federation of Robotics, a trade group.

This pattern can be observed in all industries. China acquires a foreign company, copies everything. Then the country shuts down the foreign entity and moves production to China to create leverage for whatever political or economic gain it deems appropriate.

Nexperia almost was such a case, too, but the Dutch government could prevent it. We must stop thinking that China is a reliable partner.

[-] birdwing@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 2 days ago

Maybe time Europe took reindustrialisation in her hands?

[-] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 4 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

It's weird, they start by talking about manufacturing robots, and then switch to installing robots. Those are two very different things. There's more stuff Chinese people are doing by hand, which they could automate, so sure. German factories are going to be pretty automated already.

It even mentions:

Although China still relies on high-end components from European and Japanese companies and A.I. chips from Nvidia, the country is becoming more self-sufficient, Ms. Arcesati said.

You start with textiles, then move to plastic crap, then keep moving up the specialised and high-tech food chain. That's the usual way industrialisation works. China is making some of it's own robots, but you can be pretty sure it's mostly the cheapest, most basic kind. And the tools to make those robots probably themselves come from Japan or Germany.

[-] lunar17@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

My employer bought some robots recently. A quote from KUKA was about €40k per arm, while a Chinese brand was €10k per arm. Guess which option management went with.

I'm not sure what can be done about this. There's just no competing on the cost of labor.

[-] BigShammy80@feddit.org 6 points 2 days ago

Kuka, formally known as Reis Robotics. Reis Robotics was bought from Kuka (Chinese Midea Group). They slaughtered everything out of Reis and then sold it. It's now Reis Robotics again, but the know how is now in Midea's hands...

[-] CosmoNova@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago

What can be done about this is banning companies from selling out to China in the first place and strengthening patent laws globally. China does not participate in the free market, it just abuses it. Selling off Kuka should‘ve never been allowed. We know China would never allow a sellout of key technologies either.

[-] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Yeah, but you get into pretty slippery questions about what "selling out to China" means. It's not like the Chinese government comes straight to you and says "hi". Some random corporation could be owned by companies that are owned by companies that have their strings pulled by whoever.

Really, if you want to stunt China's progress, you cut off access to universities and experts by Chinese nationals, and cut off export of specific physical goods. Something like this has been done with the most advanced semiconductors, already.

this post was submitted on 25 Sep 2026
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