 "BYD to get into robotics, starts recruiting young talent to develop humanoid robots")
BYD, China’s leading electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, is making a bold move into robotics with a major recruitment drive for its embodied intelligence (EI) unit. The Shenzhen-based company recently announced global job openings on WeChat, seeking specialists in sensory algorithms, robotics, and software engineering.
While the exact number of hires remains unspecified, BYD is targeting fresh graduates with advanced degrees in mechanics, automation, computation, and related fields, offering positions in Shenzhen, Hefei, and Changsha.
This recruitment push reflects BYD’s growing ambition in robot development. Its EI research team, established in 2022, is focused on advancing decision-making capabilities for robots and expanding the industrial applications of EI technology.
Advancing EI and humanoid robots
BYD has already developed a range of robots, including collaborative, mobile, and humanoid robots. The company’s investments in embodied intelligence, a field enabling machines to interact with their physical environments, position it among the top Chinese firms ramping up efforts in robotics.
Founder Wang Chuanfu recently unveiled plans to invest 100 billion yuan (approximately US$13.7 billion) into merging AI with automotive and robotics technologies. These efforts highlight BYD’s vision to integrate robotics into its existing industrial ecosystem while fostering innovation in advanced manufacturing.
China’s robotics revolution
BYD’s pivot comes as China accelerates its adoption of robotics. The nation has overtaken Germany and Japan in industrial robot deployment, driven by government policies that promote automation across sectors. Local authorities in cities like Hangzhou, Chongqing, and Nanjing, along with parts of Sichuan province, are rolling out initiatives to boost robotics innovation and attract key industry players.
Beijing’s support for robotics, underscored at the recent central economic work conference, aligns with forecasts by Citi Global Insights, predicting that humanoid robots could become a US$7 trillion market by 2050, with nearly 650 million working alongside humans globally.
Market challenges amid expansion
Despite its promising robotics aspirations, BYD has faced recent market challenges. Shares of the Hong Kong-listed company dropped 4 per cent to HK$268.6 last week. However, its foray into robotics could signal a long-term strategy to diversify beyond EVs, leveraging its cutting-edge manufacturing capabilities to capitalise on the growing demand for automation and robotics.
As BYD continues to invest in EI and humanoid technology, it is positioning itself at the forefront of China’s burgeoning robotics industry, blending AI, innovation, and manufacturing expertise to shape the future of automation.
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