Unitree soars in Shanghai debut as Europe sounds alarm on robotics gap

Germany's VDMA engineering association called on Wednesday for humanoid robotics and physical AI to be placed at the top of the political agenda in Germany and Europe, warning that a global race for leadership in the sector has begun — one that China is currently winning by a wide margin.

Unitree's Shanghai Debut Underscores China's Lead

The call came as Unitree (688836.SS), China's best-known humanoid robot maker, soared more than 500% in its Shanghai STAR Market trading debut on Wednesday. The stock opened at around 1,100 yuan, compared with its IPO price of 150.80 yuan per share, lifting the company's valuation above $11 billion. The IPO raised approximately $900 million after being oversubscribed more than 8,000 times by retail investors.reuters+3

The VDMA said the landmark listing illustrated the urgency of its message: Europe risks falling behind in a technology that sits at the intersection of artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing.reuters

China Commands 97% of Global Shipments

Global humanoid robot shipments reached approximately 19,100 units in the first half of 2026, surging 272% year over year from 5,100 units in the same period of 2025, according to research firm Smart Analytics Global. Chinese manufacturers accounted for more than 97% of those shipments. Shanghai-based AGIBOT led with a 44% global share, or roughly 8,400 units, followed by Hangzhou-based Unitree with about 5,900 units.smartanalyticsglobal+3

Industrial and commercial buyers drove more than 70% of deployments, up from around 50% a year earlier. Annual shipments are projected to reach 60,000 units by the end of 2026 and potentially 500,000 by 2030.forbes+2

Europe's Response

The VDMA's intervention reflects growing anxiety across European industry that the continent lacks a coordinated strategy for humanoid robotics, even as Chinese firms scale production and the United States moves to secure its own supply chain. The humanoid robot sector has become a new front in the broader Sino-U.S. technology competition, with Washington and Beijing both treating the technology as strategically important.reuters

Europe's engineering sector has deep expertise in industrial automation, but no European company currently ranks among the top humanoid robot shippers globally. The VDMA urged policymakers to treat the gap as a matter of industrial sovereignty.