Insider Brief
- Johnson Electric and Shanghai Mechanical & Electrical Industry Co. (SMEIC) have announced two joint ventures in China focused on humanoid robotics, backed by a combined investment of approximately $21 million (150 million yuan).
- The Shanghai-based venture will handle sales, customer support, business development, research support, and after-sales service for humanoid robotics solutions across China, while the Shenzhen-based venture will specialize in engineering, design, and manufacturing of robotic hardware modules and integrated systems.
- SMEIC contributes its industrial manufacturing expertise, while Johnson Electric provides robotics technologies, aiming to create scalable production capabilities and customized engineering support to meet evolving customer demands in China’s growing robotics sector.
Two new joint ventures in China will accelerate development and sales of humanoid robotic systems under a partnership announced between Johnson Electric and Shanghai Mechanical & Electrical Industry Co. (SMEIC), according to both companies. The ventures are backed by 150 million yuan in total funding from the partners, equivalent to approximately $21 million.
The first venture, to be established in Shanghai, will focus on sales and customer support for humanoid robotics solutions, the companies said. The Shanghai entity will also lead business development, research support, application engineering, and after-sales service for customers in China. The second venture, based in Shenzhen, will serve as the engineering and manufacturing hub, specializing in hardware modules and integrated system components for humanoid robots.
SMEIC, a publicly listed firm on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, brings established manufacturing and equipment expertise to the collaboration. The Group, which was not further identified in the announcement, is contributing resources and technological capabilities toward humanoid robotics development. Together, both ventures aim to provide an end-to-end solution, from product design and manufacturing to sales and support across the Chinese market.
The companies said the combination of SMEIC’s industrial capabilities and the Group’s robotics focus will allow the new ventures to deliver high-performance core components and subsystems to customers operating in robotics-heavy sectors. By splitting operations between Shanghai and Shenzhen, the ventures are designed to balance proximity to industrial partners with access to supply chain and engineering resources.
No specific product timelines were disclosed, and neither company provided detailed plans for when customers might expect commercial products or services. The companies did not identify initial target industries beyond the general category of humanoid robotics solutions. The Group described the formation of the joint ventures as part of a long-term strategy to expand its position within the robotics sector.
According to executives from both companies, the ventures are intended to offer scalable production capabilities and customized engineering support, positioning the firms to respond to evolving customer needs in the Chinese robotics market. With manufacturing and sales operations unified under the partnership, the companies aim to streamline the delivery of robotic solutions across the region.
