Shenzhen launches robotics service hub to tackle bottlenecks in scaling innovation AIR Design House

Shenzhen has launched a new robotics service platform aimed at helping companies bridge a critical gap in the industry: turning prototypes into scalable, commercially viable products.

Guests tour the AIR Design House Global Robot Product Development and Selection Service Center in Bao'an on April 8. Photos courtesy of AIR Design House

The AIR Design House Global Robot Product Development and Selection Service Center, launched by the Shenzhen Robotics Association, officially opened in Bao’an District on Wednesday as part of a broader robotics and embodied AI industrial cluster branded as the “Embodied Intelligence Port.”

The initiative reflects a growing recognition within the industry that the biggest challenges lie not in developing new technologies, but in engineering, validating and manufacturing them at scale.

“The difficulty is not whether something can be built, but whether it can be reliably produced and expanded,” said Tan Weijia, secretary-general of the Shenzhen Robotics Association, at the launch event.

A platform targeting the ‘last mile’ problem

Spanning roughly 3,600 square meters across three floors, the center is designed as a full-lifecycle service platform covering product selection, engineering validation and pilot production.

One level features a supply chain exhibition space that combines physical displays with a digital database, allowing developers and buyers to test components such as dexterous robotic hands while accessing technical specifications and certification data.

Robotics components and systems are displayed at the AIR Design House Global Robot Product Development and Selection Service Center.

Another core component is an engineering services center that supports companies through three stages: design and system planning, testing and validation, and small-batch pilot production. The facility allows teams with only initial designs or prototypes to develop manufacturing-ready models on site.

Local officials from the Bao’an District Science, Technology and Innovation Bureau said the platform is intended to address systemic challenges in the industry’s “last mile” — where many projects struggle to transition from concept to commercialization.

Connecting global partners and reducing friction

Beyond engineering support, the center also serves as a collaboration hub linking companies with suppliers, investors and international partners.

It offers services including supply-demand matchmaking, cross-border trade consulting, intellectual property support and dispute resolution — areas seen as increasingly important for robotics firms expanding globally.

More than 100 representatives from robotics companies, investment institutions and international organizations attended the launch event. Participants said bringing multiple parts of the supply chain into one physical space significantly reduces communication costs and builds trust.

Backed by a growing industrial ecosystem

Industry experts share insights during a panel discussion at the opening of the AIR Design House Global Robot Product Development and Selection Service Center on April 8.

The new center is located in Bao’an’s coastal innovation corridor in the Qianhai area, which has attracted major technology firms including Huawei, Tencent and Luxshare Precision Industry Co., alongside a growing number of robotics startups.

Officials say Bao’an accounts for nearly one-third of Shenzhen’s robotics industry, with more than 200 key enterprises, including listed companies and emerging firms specializing in core components such as servo motors, reducers and dexterous robotic hands.

The center is expected to host regular industry salons, supply-demand matchmaking sessions and international cooperation events. It will also connect with FAIR Plus 2026, a robotics industry event scheduled for April 22–24, forming what organizers describe as a combined model of large-scale events and permanent service infrastructure.