German Motor Industry Leader Visits HONPINE Robotic joint actuators Factory in Shanghai to Explore Strategic Cooperation

Jun 09, 2026

Integrated robotic joint actuators account for approximately 40%–50% of the total cost of a robot, making them a critical factor in reducing the overall cost of robotic systems.

Compared with overseas markets, China enjoys significant advantages in the robotic joint actuator sector, including a well-established supporting industrial ecosystem and abundant rare-earth resources. These strengths provide tremendous growth potential and have attracted increasing interest from international companies seeking mutually beneficial partnerships and collaboration opportunities.

Market Outlook for Humanoid Robots

The year 2025 marks the beginning of mass production for humanoid robots. Leading companies are rapidly improving production lines and strengthening core component supply chains, with annual output expected to exceed 18,000 units.

In the near future, the industry is expected to transition from pilot projects to large-scale commercial deployment. Application scenarios will continue to mature, and sustainable business models will gradually take shape. Industry forecasts suggest that annual production could surpass 250,000 units by 2030.

As one of the most critical components of humanoid robots, integrated joint actuators are expected to benefit directly from this rapid market expansion.

Currently, humanoid robot manufacturers typically adopt one of three approaches for sourcing joint actuators:

In-house development and manufacturing

Third-party procurement based on proprietary designs (contract manufacturing)

Direct third-party procurement of standardized products

At present, approximately 63% of joint actuators are sourced from third-party suppliers, and this proportion is expected to continue increasing in the coming years.

Potential Cooperation Between HONPINE and a German Motor Brand

Recently, a well-known German motor manufacturer visited the HONPINE Robot Joint Motor Factory to explore potential cooperation opportunities.

Both parties agreed that robotic joint actuators have entered the era of integrated drive-and-control architecture, where motors, drives, and control systems are increasingly combined into highly integrated solutions.

Future competition in the joint actuator industry will focus on several key factors:

Mass-production consistency
Supply reliability and delivery stability
Manufacturing yield rates
Cost-control capabilities

A future strategic partnership between the two companies could create significant synergies, delivering mutual benefits and shared growth opportunities.

What Does the Future Hold for Robotic Joint Actuators？

Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, the robotic joint actuator industry will be shaped by three decisive factors:

Technology roadmap determines product competitiveness.

Industrialization capability determines the speed of mass production.

Supply-chain positioning determines market influence and bargaining power.

In this increasingly competitive landscape, only companies that accurately identify industry trends and continuously invest in core technologies will be able to secure a leading position in the rapidly evolving humanoid robotics market.

As humanoid robots move closer to large-scale commercialization, integrated joint actuators will become one of the most important enabling technologies, driving improvements in performance, reliability, and affordability across the entire industry.