NXP CEO: China's robot ecosystem far larger than other markets as three forces emerge

On September 18, NXP Semiconductors formally opened its China Robotics Innovation Center in Shanghai. In an interview following the opening, CEO Rafael Sotomayor shared his observations of the Chinese robotics market, calling the center a key part of the company's global robotics strategy and an effort to support robot system innovation and scaled deployment of trusted physical AI based on local market needs.

Sotomayor said he visited seven robotics companies and five automakers developing robots this week to understand the urgent needs of China's robotics supply chain. He observed that three forces are currently building humanoid robots in China: startup robotics companies, auto industry crossovers, and traditional industrial automation firms. Each has different supply chain requirements.

He noted that in Europe, NXP primarily serves drones in robotics, while in the United States it mainly supports small autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). Comparing by the number of robotics companies, he said other national markets are relatively small, while China's ecosystem is much larger.

Sotomayor described humanoid robots as among the most complex systems humans have built, and said no perfect product exists yet, so customers and NXP need to define next-generation products together. He dismissed concerns that humanoid robots are a passing trend, saying it is a real market with promising returns, and that NXP is investing heavily in physical AI and hopes to win alongside China's leading players.