Chongqing - The 2026 World Science and Technology Development Forum opens in Chongqing on October 21, putting embodied AI and intelligent manufacturing in the spotlight. 

Chinese manufacturers accounted for more than 97 percent of the estimated 19,100 humanoid robots shipped worldwide in the first half of 2026, according to market research firm Smart Analytics Global. But the challenge is shifting from building humanoids to making them work reliably. Chongqing is looking to its automotive industry, factory floors and real-world training facilities for answers.

The automotive industry provides components, manufacturing expertise and real-world testing grounds. Changan, a major Chongqing automaker, announced a robotics subsidiary in April and aims to begin mass-producing humanoid robots by 2028, drawing on technologies and supply chains developed for intelligent vehicles. 

In Yongchuan, Loncin, Shanghai-based AgiBot and local partners are developing a humanoid robot manufacturing project, with plans to bring robots into Zongshen and Loncin motorcycle factories for training and testing. Meanwhile, Seres operates a highly automated vehicle factory with more than 3,000 industrial robots, illustrating Chongqing's advanced manufacturing capabilities.

Chongqing is also developing facilities where humanoid robots can learn and be tested in real-world environments. Bishan is building the city's first large-scale embodied AI robot training facility, with 60 robots planned for its initial phase. The city is also working with companies including Unitree and Galaxy General to explore applications in automotive manufacturing, mountain patrols and logistics.

The real test, however, is not how many humanoids can be produced, but whether they can perform useful tasks safely, reliably and at a competitive cost. That will determine whether embodied AI can deliver lasting productivity gains on factory floors.