Airbus buys UBTECH robots for manufacturing

Shenzhen-based UBTECH Robotics announced Sunday that European aerospace leader Airbus has signed an agreement to purchase an unspecified number of its industrial humanoid robot, the Walker S2, for use in Airbus manufacturing facilities.

A lineup of UBTECH’s Walker S2 humanoid robots, highlighting the potential of coordinated robotic performance. Photo courtesy of UBTECH

The bipedal robots will be deployed in aircraft production, marking a significant step in the commercial application of humanoid robotics within complex, high-precision industrial environments.

According to UBTECH, this collaboration with Airbus represents a major expansion of its humanoid robots’ applications — from industrial scenarios in China to five key global sectors: aviation manufacturing, automotive manufacturing, consumer electronics, smart logistics, and semiconductor manufacturing. The move follows UBTECH’s strategic partnership with U.S. semiconductor giant Texas Instruments last year.

The company stated that the industrial value of humanoid robots, as part of the “new quality productive forces,” is being further extended. Both parties will jointly explore and expand the deployment of such robots in aviation manufacturing.

While humanoid robots have often been showcased more for demonstration than for practical use, deals with industry giants like Airbus and Texas Instruments signal a shift from research curiosities to tangible industrial tools. UBTECH’s plan to mass-produce 10,000 units this year reflects a confident bet that the market is ready for bipedal automation. A standout feature of the Walker S2 is its ability to autonomously swap its own battery—highlighting a design focus on minimizing downtime and maximizing efficiency, a priority well understood in manufacturing.

In 2025, UBTECH's humanoid robot orders exceeded 1.4 billion yuan (US$200 million), ranking first globally. The company expects its industrial humanoid robot production capacity to reach tens of thousands of units in 2026. Beyond China, UBTECH has begun gradually expanding into overseas manufacturing markets, including Europe and the United States.

This agreement comes amid the rapid emergence of Chinese robotics and other high-tech unicorns. A recent Hurun Research Institute report identified 796 publicly listed companies in China founded after 2000, each valued at over US$1 billion. These firms are spread across 126 cities in 32 provincial-level regions, with a combined valuation of 24 trillion yuan.

Among them, nine companies are deeply involved in robotics, with UBTECH Robotics — founded in 2012 — ranking first in the sector.

A staffer inspects newly assembled industrial humanoid robot Walker S2 in a UBTECH factory in Liuzhou, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, in May last year. Xinhua

“The ranking shows that China’s unicorn enterprises are accelerating their concentration in hard-tech sectors such as robotics, with industrial clustering becoming increasingly evident,” Li Changan, a professor at the Academy of China Open Economy Studies under the University of International Business and Economics, told the Global Times on Sunday.

He added that unicorn companies represent both an important force in technological innovation and a key indicator of a country’s innovative capacity. “In recent years, the continued growth in the number of China’s unicorn enterprises fully demonstrates the vitality supported by the country’s economic and social development.”

This trend also reflects the positive outcomes of a continuously improving business environment. With further implementation of policies supporting technological innovation and enterprise development, along with ongoing enhancements to the business climate, more unicorn companies are expected to emerge in the future.