China’s Ubtech Surges After Airbus Buys Walker S2 Humanoid Robots
On January 19th, shares of UBTECH Robotics Corp. (HKEX: 9880), a Chinese industrial robot company, surged 8.6%, closing at HK$144.7 (approximately US$18.6). The core positive factor driving the share price increase was the company's partnership with European aerospace giant Airbus, with Airbus officially purchasing UBTECH's Walker S2 industrial-grade humanoid robot. This marks the robot's successful entry into the aerospace manufacturing sector.
According to UBTECH's announcement on January 18th, the two parties signed a humanoid robot service cooperation agreement. In addition to purchasing the Walker S2, Airbus will also collaborate with UBTECH to explore more application scenarios for humanoid robots in aircraft production, further expanding the boundaries of human-robot collaboration.
This cooperation makes aerospace manufacturing the fifth core application scenario for UBTECH's humanoid robots. Previously, the product had been deployed in four major fields: automotive manufacturing, 3C electronics manufacturing, smart logistics, and semiconductor manufacturing, continuously expanding its industrial application footprint.
UBTECH revealed that its total orders for humanoid robots exceeded RMB 1.4 billion (approximately US$200 million) in 2024, and it expects its annual production capacity of industrial-grade humanoid robots to reach 10,000 units by 2026. In the future, the company will collaborate with more partners to build an industrial ecosystem, accelerate technological iteration through real-world application scenarios, and expand the application boundaries of humanoid robots.
Public information shows that Walker S2 is a full-size industrial-grade humanoid robot launched by UBTECH in July 2024, with mass production and delivery commencing in November of the same year. Designed specifically for intelligent manufacturing scenarios, it can achieve human-robot collaboration in complex factory environments, completing tasks such as material handling and assembly. Currently, its customer base includes well-known companies such as BYD, Texas Instruments, Foxconn, and SF Express.
