On August 17, 2017, on this beautiful day when summer’s warmth still lingers and autumn’s charm is gradually taking hold, the groundbreaking ceremony for the new factory of Shanghai STEP Robot Co., Ltd., with an annual production capacity of 10,000 industrial robots, was solemnly held at No. 1518 Siji Road, Jiading District, Shanghai.

Dai Liu, member of the Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Congress, Deputy Director of the Finance and Economic Affairs Committee of the Municipal People’s Congress, and President of the Shanghai Robotics Industry Association; Wu Jincheng, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Information Technology; Zhou Wenjie, Member of the Standing Committee of the Jiading District Committee of the CPC Shanghai Municipality and Head of the Organization Department of the District Committee; Chen Bin, Vice Chairman of the Jiading District CPPCC in Shanghai; Zheng Jiming, Director of the Jiading District Tax Bureau in Shanghai; Liu Jun, Secretary of the Party Working Committee of Shanghai Jiading New City, Executive Deputy Director of the Management Committee, and Secretary of the Party Committee of Malu Town, Jiading District, Shanghai Municipality; Wu Wenhua, Deputy Director of the Jiading District Commission of Economy in Shanghai—along with leaders from various municipal, district, and township-level departments, as well as representatives from partner organizations, news media, and other guests—jointly attended the event.

The new factory project of STEP Robotics covers an area of 48,000 square meters, with a construction area of 27,000 square meters and a total investment of 693 million yuan. Upon completion, the facility will have an annual production capacity of 10,000 sets of industrial robots. The new factory project will focus on building a specialized, large-scale, and intelligent manufacturing base for robots, key components, and motion control systems. The project will introduce domestically leading manufacturing, testing, and inspection systems for robots, key components, and motion control systems, and will establish a brand-new, fully intelligent manufacturing ecosystem for these products.

At the groundbreaking ceremony, leaders from various levels of Shanghai Municipality, Jiading District, and Malu Town, as well as Ji Yi, Chairman of STEP, delivered speeches, jointly celebrating the birth of STEP new 10,000-unit industrial robot production base.

Chairman Ji Yi, Shanghai STEP Electric Co., Ltd.

Robots are a remarkable achievement of the Industrial Revolution—a shining jewel atop the crown of industrial manufacturing. For us, the people of STEP, having a specialized, large-scale, and intelligent robot-manufacturing base—and a future factory that truly embodies the essence of smart manufacturing, where robots “make robots”—has always been our “dream for the future.” And now, we’re thrilled to see that this dream will soon become a reality right here!

On this industrial base, STEP will surely write a brilliant chapter—from “Made in China” to “Smart Made in China,” and ultimately to “Innovative Made in China!” We look forward to seeing the robots produced here become a source of pride for China!

Zhang Min, Deputy Mayor of Malu Town, Jiading District, Shanghai Municipality

On behalf of Jiading New City and Malu Town, I would like to convey three key messages. First, we must learn from the STEP team. STEP boasts a highly capable and dynamic team that is unafraid of challenges, keeps pace with the times, and relentlessly pursues innovation. They drive transformation through innovation, propel development through transformation, and enhance efficiency through development. Second, we should embrace their spirit of innovation. STEP has achieved remarkable success in robotics technology innovation, having secured 26 patents and 10 software copyrights in the robotics field. Moreover, STEP is not only a member of the National Robotics Standardization General Group but also among the first batch to obtain China’s CR certification for robots. Third, we must provide excellent service to enterprises represented by STEP. We will further improve our surrounding infrastructure, closely coordinate with enterprises to offer supportive policies on talent development and innovation, stimulate upstream and downstream businesses, build robust platforms, and thereby boost the growth of the robotics and intelligent manufacturing industries.

Zhou Wenjie, Member of the Standing Committee of the Jiading District Committee of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and Director of the Organization Department of the District Committee

STEP is a star enterprise in Jiading, serving as a shining “calling card” of Jiading’s advanced manufacturing sector and also setting an exemplary model for Party building work within Jiading’s “two new organizations.” STEP has been developing in Jiading for nearly 20 years. Together, we’ve witnessed the completion of its first electrical factory, jointly rung the bell to mark its IPO, and shared the joy of its very first robot rolling off the assembly line.

As construction of the new factory gets underway, we eagerly anticipate another groundbreaking leap forward in STEP smart manufacturing capabilities and look forward to seeing STEP showcase its increasingly robust innovative strength. Our district committee and district government will also provide full support for STEP development and growth, contributing our part to its continued success.

Dai Liu, Member of the Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Congress, Deputy Director of the Finance and Economic Committee of the People’s Congress, and President of the Shanghai Robotics Industry Association

Standing here today feels a bit new—this is the first time in my more than 30-year career in the robotics industry that I’m delivering a speech from a robot’s podium. This is an industrial robot capable of at least four axes and four simultaneous movements, which clearly demonstrates that robots are ubiquitous and truly omnipotent.

I remember two years ago, I and several representatives from the Shanghai Municipal People’s Congress made a special trip to STEP to visit and learn. Among them, one representative—Wang Rugang, head of the Shanghai People’s Comic Opera Troupe—expressed with deep emotion that after devoting most of his life to comic performances, it was only when he came to STEP that he finally understood what a robot was. He added that robots would open up new horizons for his future performances.

Since 2015, China has become the world’s largest market for robot applications. Starting from a base of 50,000 to 60,000 units, we’ve now reached 80,000 units. Seeing the goal of 10,000 sets on the backdrop, I can truly feel STEP ambitious aspirations. To give you a sense of just how vast the potential for robot applications is, let me share a figure: Internationally, the level of robot adoption is typically measured by the number of robots per 10,000 workers. Currently, China’s robot density—measured in robots per 10,000 workers—is less than one-tenth that of South Korea. The market still has enormous room for growth. We look forward to the early completion of STEP new robot factory, and we’re eager to see STEP robots help realize the dream of establishing a strong domestic robot brand. We also hope that STEP robots will contribute significantly to the early realization of China’s “Made in China 2025” national strategy.

Wu Jincheng, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization

Smart manufacturing—particularly the robotics industry—is a key focus of China’s “Made in China 2025” initiative and also a critically important sector for the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government as they promote advanced manufacturing. Each time STEP undergoes a transformation, it manages to stay perfectly in sync with the times and does so with remarkable stability. We are fully confident that STEP new factory, with its capacity of 10,000 sets, will be a resounding success. We look forward to the early completion of STEP new robotics factory, and we hope that STEP Robotics will become a shining emblem of domestically produced robots, playing a vital role in driving the development of Shanghai’s robotics industry, smart manufacturing sector, and internet industry.

The construction of STEP’s new factory, with an annual capacity of 10,000 industrial robots, has begun. This will undoubtedly become another milestone in STEP’s transformation and development!

Robots, smart technology, and the factory of the future—new-era pioneers will remain true to our responsibilities, be grateful to society, sweat profusely, and keep pursuing our dreams. By pooling our technological wisdom, we’ll contribute wholeheartedly to the creation of an intelligent factory of the future!

Email:
market@stepelectric.com

Address:
No. 1560, Siyi Road, Jiading District, Shanghai Municipality