Service robot section latest addition to one of the world's largest trade events

At the 137th China Import and Export Fair in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, legions of businesses from the host province are showcasing their self-developed high-tech products, demonstrating the innovation strength and industry chain resilience of Guangdong manufacturers.

The event, commonly known as the Canton Fair, spans three phases, running from Tuesday to May 5. The first phase lasts five days, with more than 11,300 companies occupying 25,064 booths in a total exhibition area of 520,000 square meters.

The exhibitions span five categories: Electronics and Appliance; Manufacturing; Vehicles and Two Wheels; Light and Electrical; and Hardware. It features advanced industries and technological support, with a slew of new companies, products, technologies and business models emerging.

A new highlight of the fair is the service robot section. Forty-six companies are showcasing various products, including embodied robots, commercial service robots, and educational and entertainment robots.

Of these exhibitors, 16 are from Guangdong, presenting a variety of robots such as humanoid, surgical, cleaning, logistics, food delivery, guidance, industrial inspection, and bionic companion pet robots. The innovations underline the prospects of Guangdong's robotics driving various industries.

Foreign merchants show interest in the new products and tech solutions of Guangzhou Shiyuan Electronic Technology on the opening day of the Canton Fair on Tuesday in Guangzhou, Guangdong province. CHINA DAILY

Award winner

Among the Guangdong robot companies is Guangdong Lingdu Intelligent Technology Development, which has set up a more than 2-meter-high glass wall on-site and photovoltaic panels, creating an open space to demonstrate real scenarios. That allows visitors to learn up close about how its intelligent robots clean the wall and photovoltaic panels.

Lingkong K3, developed by Lingdu Intelligent, is the world's first mass-produced exterior wall cleaning robot. It can operate on building facades up to 600 meters high, cleaning a daily average of 1,500-2,000 sq m per unit, which is three times more than manual cleaning.

When Lingdu Intelligent debuted at the Canton Fair in 2024, the Lingkong K3 high-altitude curtain wall cleaning robot stood out from more than 2,300 products nationwide, winning the highest-level category of the Canton Fair Design Award. The "Best of the Best" prize attracted wide attention and laid a foundation for the company's global expansion.

Zhang Zhizhong, chairman of the company, said that he has seen many overseas buyers at this year's event, especially from Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern markets. On the opening day of the Canton Fair alone, Lingdu Intelligent reached several potential cooperation agreements.

"In the coming days, they will be visiting our headquarters in Huangpu district (of Guangzhou) for a factory inspection," Zhang said.

Guangzhou Shiyuan Electronic Technology, a leading enterprise in the ultrahigh-definition display industry in Guangdong province, focuses on interactive displays and artificial intelligence. At the fair, the company revealed six major scenario solutions and a series of new products, attracting attention from industry experts, business partners and visitors from around the world.

Market prospects

Zhou Lili, chairwoman of the company's global business group, said the flow of overseas buyers at the ongoing Canton Fair has been continuous. "In the first two days of the exhibition, we communicated with more than 200 buyers from over 50 countries. We remain optimistic about the market prospects," she said.

Asia alone represents a vast overseas market, with the most populous country, India, and the fourth-most populous country, Indonesia, she noted.

Taking smart classroom solutions as an example, Zhou said that while they are a mature category in China with a very high market share, many schools in several Asian countries have yet to start deploying such solutions. Consequently, these markets hold significant potential.

According to the company, it established subsidiaries in Indonesia and Thailand in July and August, respectively, and has built sizable teams there. This year, the company plans to open a subsidiary in the United Arab Emirates.

"With the support of the Belt and Road Initiative, coupled with our company's own investments, we are confident that we can quickly become a leader in these markets," Zhou said.

Amid a volatile global trade environment, this year's Canton Fair serves as a platform for China to demonstrate its commitment to opening-up and for Guangdong to showcase its industrial resilience and innovative pathways.

In addition to a number of Guangdong companies featuring eye-catching arenas such as robotics, many others from the province are concentrating on emerging fields such as new energy and energy storage, showcasing a range of high-tech, high-value products that represent new quality productive forces.