For anyone seeking to gauge the success of Beijing’s flagship “Made in China 2025” industrial policy, German automaker Audi’s new electric vehicle plant in northern China provides a vivid example.
Industrial robots from Chinese-owned companies — one of the key targets of the policy — dominate the production line, starting with an automated press that stamps metal sheets into door panels.
Next, more than 800 robots from Chinese-owned Kuka weld pieces into car frames, while another Chinese supplier has automated the wheel installation process. The robots outnumber the humans on each shift.