Connect with us

Business

Beijing E-Town Builds an Internationally Leading Demonstration City for Embodied Intelligent Robot Industry

Published

on

robot industry

BEIJING, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 28 August 2024 – As a pioneer in high-quality development for the new era, Beijing E-Town (BDA) is seizing the opportunity to lead the development of the embodied intelligent robot industry. The plan is to build a domestically leading and internationally first-class demonstration city for the embodied intelligent robot industry in two steps.

“By the end of 2026, we aim to achieve full coverage of over ten interactive service application scenarios, attract more than 100 innovative enterprises, gather over 1,000 high-end talents, and reach a mass production capacity of 10,000 embodied intelligent robots. By 2030, we plan to create an embodied intelligent robot innovation ecosystem characterized by ‘full-chain layout, full-stack autonomy, and comprehensive empowerment,’ establishing Beijing as a strategic base, a technological origin, an application demonstration, and a main industrial hub for embodied intelligent robots in China,” stated Kong Lei, Deputy Secretary of the Party Working Committee and Director of the Administrative Committee of the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (BDA), during the main forum on “Industrial Development” at the World Robot Conference 2024 (WRC 2024) on August 22.

To achieve the development goals of the demonstration city, Beijing E-Town will implement the “Five Priorities” plan. In terms of advancing key technologies, Beijing E-Town will focus on critical areas such as the “brain,” “cerebellum,” and “limbs” of embodied intelligent robots. It will support key enterprises in strengthening collaborative research on disruptive and leading technologies, accelerate the construction of an innovative industrial technology system, and seize the high ground in embodied intelligent robot technology.

To this end, Beijing E-Town will create an internationally competitive embodied intelligent “brain,” supporting robot companies in collaboration with AI enterprises to conduct research on key technologies of general-purpose large models in the field of embodied intelligent robots. It aims to develop an AI-based general-purpose model that integrates perception, decision-making, and control, achieving internationally advanced levels in task decomposition, execution task quantity, parameter quantity, and robot task capabilities.

Simultaneously, it will develop a globally leading motion control “cerebellum,” accelerate the development of full-body dynamics control algorithms for embodied intelligent robots, continuously improve the control accuracy of high-dynamic walking, and focus on breakthroughs in key technologies such as dynamic arm grasping, agile operations, and full-body coordinated motion control. Furthermore, it will expedite breakthroughs in integrated hardware-software visual technology.

Additionally, the initiative will deepen the systematic layout of critical “machine limbs,” engage in specialized R&D on high-strength, high-integration bodies, lightweight skeletons, high-precision sensors, and more to achieve internationally leading performance parameters. It will focus on critical components like high-performance dedicated chips, servo motors, and reducers to accelerate core technology breakthroughs, continuously improve the technical innovation system, build an efficient collaborative joint research mechanism, and encourage leading enterprises to form innovative consortia, leading upstream and downstream institutions in collaborative research.

Regarding core product advancements, Beijing E-Town will prioritize key products such as whole machines, core components, and software systems, accelerating the industrialization breakthrough of several essential foundational products, and constructing a three-dimensional product matrix of “whole-zero coordination” and “software-hardware integration.” In April this year, the general-purpose humanoid robot platform “Tiangong” was launched in Beijing E-Town, achieving the world’s first humanoid running with a full-sized pure electric humanoid robot.

Continuing to lead the industry, Beijing E-Town aims to develop high-performance whole machine products, establish the world’s first general-purpose embodied intelligent robot “hardware mother platform” and the first multi-capability embodied intelligent “software mother platform.” It will focus on typical fields such as 3C electronics manufacturing and new energy vehicle production, encouraging leading enterprises to develop low-cost interactive, high-precision, and high-reliability embodied intelligent robot whole machine products for extreme environments.

Moreover, it will guide enterprises in focusing on key components such as dedicated sensors, high power density actuators, controllers, and dedicated chips. Additionally, leveraging the leading role of the innovation highland in the information technology application innovation industry, it will develop a specialized operating system for embodied intelligent robots, and expedite the industrialization breakthrough of several essential foundational products.

From innovative achievements to practical implementation, application scenarios have always been a strong suit of Beijing E-Town. At the Xiaomi automobile factory, over 700 robots serve on the production line, and the country’s first certified AI catering robot has been deployed on the streets; the waterjet surgical robot won the 2024 World Intellectual Property Organization Global Award… “Robotics+” has become the norm here.

Moving forward, Beijing E-Town will advance the “first in application scenarios” strategy, leveraging its strong manufacturing base and diverse industrial application scenarios. It will explore the establishment of a composite layout for embodied intelligent robot applications in urban and industrial settings, take the lead in opening a batch of innovative application scenarios, continuously promote the matching of supply and demand in these scenarios, create a permanent robot exhibition hall, and build a city-level engineering test field. By increasing incentives for first-time applications and solutions, Beijing E-Town aims to provide strong support for the rapid deployment of “embodied intelligent robot+” application scenarios.

The area will precisely identify the needs of various fields such as manufacturing, livelihood, special equipment, and more, conducting application demonstrations in “embodied intelligent robots + industry,” “embodied intelligent robots + elderly care,” “embodied intelligent robots + emergency response,” “embodied intelligent robots + education and entertainment,” and “embodied intelligent robots + specialized fields.”

In terms of “leading” in the corporate hierarchy, Beijing E-Town will focus on nurturing leading enterprises in the embodied intelligent robot industry, supporting a group of companies that play a leading role in the embodied intelligent robot industry chain. It will gather leading enterprises with core technologies and independent intellectual property rights and cultivate innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), promoting the integrated development of large, medium, and small enterprises and fostering the growth of embodied intelligent robot companies.

Beijing E-Town will also implement an “industry ecosystem pioneering” plan, closely aligning with the entire development needs of the industry chain, enhancing data, platforms, services, and capital resources, and continuously creating an environment that attracts talent from near and far. The goal is to build the largest and most information-dense open-source embodied intelligent dataset in the industry, a phased open-source sharing model, and a “rainforest-style” full-industry-chain ecosystem for embodied intelligent robots characterized by “resource coordination, element aggregation, and innovative collaboration.”

Kong Lei explained that, as the permanent venue for the World Robot Conference, Beijing E-Town has established the “Five Ones” working mechanism: “one park, a batch of platforms, one center, one fund, and a group of talents,” to accelerate the construction of a national hub for the robotics industry.

At last year’s World Robot Conference, Beijing E-Town released a three-year action plan for high-quality development of the robotics industry. Guided by this plan, Beijing E-Town has accelerated the aggregation of innovative elements, significantly improved innovation capabilities, fully released innovative vitality, and continuously strengthened innovation entities.

To date, it has more than 100 robot ecosystem enterprises, over half of which are specialized and innovative enterprises, with a total output value of nearly 10 billion yuan, accounting for 50% of the city’s robotics industry. It has achieved independent control over key components such as precision reducers and high-performance servo starters and made innovative breakthroughs in products like specialized intelligent drilling machines.

Particularly in the embodied intelligent robot industry, Beijing E-Town has focused on building high-energy innovation platforms represented by the Beijing Embodied Intelligence Robot Innovation Center and has established leading companies such as UBTECH, along with key component companies like Chietcom, Tsino-Dynatron, and Lingzu Times, essentially forming a complete embodied intelligent robot industry chain that covers core components, main bodies, and applications.

Kong Lei stated that as the main hub for high-end industries in Beijing, Beijing E-Town has established the “44637” development framework, which includes four national strategies as its guidance (focused on building a national highland for the integrated circuit industry, continuously creating the world’s first high-level autonomous driving demonstration zone, constructing a high-quality national information technology application innovation base, and establishing the country’s first data infrastructure pilot zone at a high standard). It also consolidates and strengthens four leading industries (new-generation information technology, new energy and intelligent connected vehicles, biotechnology and big health, robotics and intelligent manufacturing), comprehensively deploys six future industries (future information, future health, future manufacturing, future energy, future materials, and future space), enhances three integration empowerments (digital-physical integration, industrial-financial integration, and cultural-scientific integration), and builds seven support systems (industrial organization, innovation cultivation, resource guarantee, talent services, open collaboration, urban vitality, and party leadership).

Moving forward, Beijing E-Town will consistently adhere to the principle that “what the country needs is what E-Town will do, what enterprises need is what E-Town will facilitate, and what talent needs is what E-Town will provide.” With a more open stance, more precise policies, more efficient services, higher-quality ecosystems, and a more sustainable environment, Beijing E-Town aims to provide comprehensive, full-process, and all-element support for talent investment, business development, and enterprise innovation.

Business

Resilience: A Winning Strategy for Legacy-Building (By Ibukun Awosika)

Published

on

entrepreneurs

Theirs is a vital lesson: success is about the courage to show up, the willingness to learn and the determination to keep building despite setbacks

LAGOS, Nigeria, April 4, 2025/APO Group/ —By Ibukun Awosika (apo-opa.co/4jiBjuS), ABH Grand Finale Judge (www.AfricaBusinessHeroes.org)

The boldest entrepreneurs understand that resourcefulness, resilience and collaboration are essential – not only for overcoming challenges but also for sustaining success. These are not just assets in the toolbox of the average businessperson but the foundation upon which enduring enterprises are built. It’s time for Africa’s enterprises to rise beyond individual success, outlast their founders and carve a lasting presence on the global stage.

This message was at the heart of the opening keynote address I had the honor of delivering at the 6th Africa’s Business Heroes (https://apo-opa.co/3RnxMzz) (ABH) Summit and Grand Finale (https://apo-opa.co/3QZXfPl). As I stood on that grand stage before a sea of ambitious entrepreneurial minds, I realized that this was more than a platform to celebrate achievement; it was a testament to tenacity and the indomitable spirit of African entrepreneurship. As a judge privileged to witness the finalists’ journeys firsthand, I saw individuals embodying the very essence of what it means to be a business hero: the drive to do, to be, and to become the founders of resilient legacies.

The theme of African Intelligence (https://apo-opa.co/3RFuRSB) was one that resonated deeply with the stories of our finalists. Intelligence in the African context is not just about knowledge or innovation; it is about the wisdom to navigate challenges, the foresight to seize opportunities and the resilience to keep moving forward despite the odds. Nowhere was this more evident than in the journeys of our grand prize winner, Henri Ousmane Gueye (https://apo-opa.co/3RwSrB4) from Senegal, and second runner-up, Alexander Odhiambo (https://apo-opa.co/3YiCeDg) from Kenya.

 

As we turn our sights to 2025, it’s time for African entrepreneurs to step forward

 

Henri, after two previous applications, finally secured the top spot on his third attempt. Alexander, undeterred by his first application, came back even stronger, ultimately reaching the Top 10 and claiming a spot on the podium. Theirs is a vital lesson: success is about the courage to show up, the willingness to learn and the determination to keep building despite setbacks. This is what sets apart those who create lasting impact.

But resilience is not just about individual success. It is about the collective strength of a community like ABH which has flourished into a powerful ecosystem equipping entrepreneurs with tools to scale their business. It has been immensely rewarding to witness this process transform businesses, but more importantly, transform leaders.

As we turn our sights to 2025, it’s time for African entrepreneurs to step forward. To those who have applied before but fell short; your journey is far from over. Let Henri and Alexander’s stories remind you that perseverance is a winning strategy. To those contemplating their first application – it’s your time!.

Like anything that holds great promise, the pursuit of entrepreneurship is validated through action. If you have the drive to do, to be, and to become, then take your place and build a legacy that will shape Africa’s future.

2025 ABH Applications Are Now Open

African entrepreneurs interested in entering the 2025 edition of the competition for a chance to win a share of US$1.5 million can apply at https://apo-opa.co/3RnxMzzregister.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH)

Continue Reading

Business

YOFC Unveils Game-Changing Hollow-Core Fibre Advances at OFC 2025

Published

on

YOFC

SAN FRANSICO, USA – Media OutReach Newswire – 3 April 2025 – At the OFC Conference, from March 30 to April 3, 2025, at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable Joint Stock Limited Company (YOFC) (stock tickers: 601869. SH, 06869.HK) highlighted several new developments in hollow-core fibre technology. During a workshop entitled “How will future submarine systems look like”, Dr. LUO Jie, YOFC’s Chief Technology Officer, presented groundbreaking advances in the field of hollow-core fibre technology.

YOFC’s presentation focused on its latest strides in reducing attenuation to a record-low of 0.05dB/km and extending the manufacturing length of single fibres to over 20 kilometers—achievements that not only set new global benchmarks but also starkly outperform traditional solid-core fibres. These technological advancements were demonstrated through a 21.7 km long hollow-core fibre with a proprietary supporting tube structure (ST-HCF). This drew considerable attention at the exhibition for its potential implications in optical communications.

Hollow-core fibre technology represents a paradigm shift in optical communications, enabling light to be transmitted through an air core. The design facilitates a 47% increase in transmission speed and a 31% reduction in latency compared to conventional fibres, showcasing the significant potential for applications requiring rapid and efficient data transmission such as in data centers, AI models, and financial trading. Additionally, the technology’s exceptionally low attenuation and nonlinearity could potentially address the capacity bottlenecks faced by submarine communication networks and long-distance terrestrial communication lines.

In his presentation, Dr. LUO Jie explored both the practical and theoretical enhancements that hollow-core fibres could bring to submarine cable systems, emphasizing their ability to increase data throughput and reduce transmission times in future deployments.

YOFC has been at the forefront of hollow-core fibre technology development, leveraging its comprehensive research capabilities and autonomous raw material research system to overcome significant industrial challenges. As the digital economy grows, YOFC’s continued innovation in hollow-core fibre technology is set to play a crucial role in supporting the evolution of global digital infrastructure, ensuring it is robust, efficient, and equipped to meet future demands.

Continue Reading

Business

Campaigns with a 50:50 split between performance and brand building drive the strongest impact in Asia

Published

on

WARC

● Landmark study proving that brand building works in delivering growth in dynamic Asian markets

● Campaigns that have a 50% brand investment proven to boost performance now – not just in the future

● Brands that invest time into cultural connection are twice as effective

WARC releases new research in The Pace Principle

4 April 2025 – WARC, the global authority of marketing effectiveness, has today released The Pace Principle, a landmark Asian evidence-led and mythbusting guide for marketers providing evidence of what works in Asia.

Until now, most evidence underpinning core advertising effectiveness principles has come from Western markets. This ground-breaking research is built on consistent data from across Southeast Asia, Greater China, and India, to address common misconceptions that hinder businesses from maximising returns – specifically the perceived barrier that “Asia moves too fast for long-term brand building to work” due to the speed of changing market dynamics and innovation.

A key insight from the research is that “speed” is a defining feature of Asian marketing, thereby the study uses the language of “pace” to make marketing science principles more applicable to the region. The race for growth operates at “twin paces”. The “Sprint” pace uses performance tactics to secure short-term wins at speed; and the “Long-distance” pace, sees investment in brand-building to sustain long-term growth.

To cut through in a competitive marketplace and amplify positive customer associations, brands need to operate at both levels of pace equally.

Rica Facundo, Managing Editor, WARC APAC, says: “In a highly pressurised, fast-changing and competitive atmosphere, a “sprint” mindset that focuses on short-term wins is understandable, but growth is hard after maxing “easy” wins. To win, brands need to be able to operate at both levels of pace by layering in brand-led advertising to supercharge performance and unlock more value. This enables brands to not only run faster, but further.”

“Helping prove what works in Asia, The Pace Principle is packed with robust evidence and actionable insights, which we hope will be used as a model for the future of advertising in Asia and help marketers build stronger brands in our thriving region.”

Addressing legacy assumptions and challenges

To boost sustainable performance and unlock enduring value, marketers should address the following legacy assumptions and challenges:

· Speed vs effectiveness: brands are conflating the need for operational agility with a short-term approach to marketing, assuming that long-term brand investment will be undermined by market changes.

· Short-termism: In dynamic markets where change feels constant, trying to sell in the prospect of long-term results is a challenge in organisations prioritising short-term wins due to the focus on quarterly and annual performance.

· Brand payback: marketers need to get away from the perception that the payback of investing in brand-building takes years to show.

Andreas Krasser, CEO, DDB Group Hong Kong, said: “Brand building has an image problem in Asia. It’s seen as slow, outdated, and out of sync with the region’s relentless pace. Many still associate it with big-budget TV spots, high spend with low tangible returns, and a distraction from performance goals. Even when the brief says “brand,” the KPIs scream performance.”

Key strategies for effective brand building in Asia outlined in The Pace Principle are:

Long-term brand building supercharges performance. The optimum split between brand and performance investment in Asia is 50:50

Advertising in Asia needs to operate at the two levels of pace – sprint (performance) and long-distance (brand-building) – to drive the biggest instant and long-term impact.

By allocating investment towards both brand-building and performance, brands can take advantage of a multiplier effect. It’s not “brand + performance”, but “brand x performance”

Brand investment is a growth multiplier in the Asian century that drives performance now and in the future. It provides a strategic platform that cuts through in a competitive marketplace, amplifying positive customer associations and scaling-up future demand.

The evidence from this study shows that campaigns with a 50:50 split between brand and performance investment deliver the strongest effect on both short- and long-term business metrics; and even delivers stronger instant impact than a split that over indexes on just performance.

Measure campaigns for the long game: the effects of shorter campaigns are four times stronger when measured for a month after the campaign finished

Campaign measurement should prioritize measuring for growth. Using short-term ROI as the primary measurement mindset overlooks the future effects of brand-building activities, such as strengthening brand memory and increasing demand for the brand.

For shorter campaigns (1-4 weeks of duration), the effects observed were, on average, four times stronger across all key business metrics, when measurement continued for a month or more after the campaign finished.

Win with cultural advantage: demonstrating a shared perspective and value with audiences is nearly twice as effective

Cultural connection is an under looked key driver of emotional engagement that drives positive business effects. Research shows that brands with high cultural resonance grow 25% more than their competitors, and 92% of respondents in McCann Worldgroup’s Truth about Global Brands study believe that Asia’s culture is its greatest source of wealth.

However, the pressure for speed and budget constraints can leave little time for brands to undertake the critical work of understanding the cultural context of its consumers.

The Pace Principle research shows that campaigns that demonstrate a shared perspective and values with audiences are nearly twice as effective compared to those that make minimal attempts at localisation.

Brands should dedicate time and resources to thoroughly understand the cultural nuances of their target audience to maximise effectiveness by going beyond outdated stereotypes and always investigating how audiences are redefining their identities in new and dynamic ways.

Shilpa Sinha, Chief Strategy Officer, McCann Worldgroup, APAC, says: “When culture is an unequivocal cornerstone of Asia’s consumer landscape, a ‘culture-first’ marketing approach cannot afford to remain a catchphrase. It needs to become a creed for any brand aiming to win in this thriving region.”

Accelerate with multichannel momentum. Effective campaigns in Asia use on average 6.5 channels to deliver large business effects

In a fragmented media ecosystem, highly effective campaigns leverage the momentum of using multiple channels to maximise the payback of all advertising.

Evidence from the study shows that effective campaigns use on average 6.5 channels to deliver large business effects, by utilising a smart combination of media to build multiple smaller exposures and positive brand associations across various touchpoints. Key to driving cross-media effects is understanding the most optimal media combinations to leverage the multiplier effect.

Questioning long-held channel assumptions and the “mobile first” depiction of Asian consumers will help marketers make more strategic decisions with the media mix.

And despite the popularity of using influencers in Asia, the study indicates that the most effective campaigns do not lead with influencers (8%) or celebrities (5%). However, when pairing influencers with other channels such as free-to-air Commercial TV, the content reaches far beyond the fan base and the digital environment, thereby becomes 1.5x more effective in driving results.

A sample of The Pace Principle is available here. WARC members can read the full report which includes practical insights, exemplary case studies and charts to help CMOs and marketers of every level apply these ideas to their own work. Accompanying podcasts will be available from 10th and 17th of April.

Methodology of the research

The research for the report is based on in-depth analysis of 150 advertising case studies in the WARC database sourced from across Southeast Asia, Greater China, and India, as well as an accompanying questionnaire submitted by participating agencies: BBDO India, BBH Singapore, BLK J Havas, DDB Group Hong Kong, DDB Mudra Group, Forsman & Bodenfors Singapore, Initiative, MBCS, McCann Worldgroup APAC, GroupM, Ogilvy, TBWA\Asia, TBWA\India, The Womb, UM, VML.

The Pace Principle is a companion report to the recent US report The Multiplier Effect, and builds on some of its key arguments and frameworks which have been tested to also apply to Asia.

Continue Reading

Trending