Chinese Robot Craze at IFA: Buzz in Berlin, but How Close to European Market?
In September 2026, Berlin witnessed a Chinese robotics invasion. IFA official statistics show that 932 mainland Chinese companies exhibited this year, and including Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan exhibitors, the total exceeded 1,000, representing nearly half of the over 1,900 exhibitors. The number of robot exhibitors hit a historic high for IFA, with humanoid robots from Unitree, Agibot, Zhongqing, and Accelerate Evolution dominating the IFA Next hall. [IMAGE 0: IFA image]
At the 'Robots on the Runway' event — a first for IFA — eleven humanoid robots performed dance, tai chi, and combat before a packed audience. Unitree set up a mini boxing ring where two robots demonstrated Chinese kung fu in turns. Zhongqing's full-size humanoid showcased a rising uppercut and spinning kick, tempting some spectators to jump over barriers for a sparring match. Agibot's robots wrote calligraphy and practiced tai chi, while Chenhunxi Technology's pianist robot played a Yamaha electronic keyboard. Xiaomi's CyberOne made its overseas debut, interacting with audiences via heart gestures and fist bumps. These demonstrations undoubtedly drew massive attention. South Korea's JoongAng Ilbo commented that 'Chinese-made robots shone at IFA.' Yet behind the spectacle, a more fundamental question emerges: is the European market truly ready to pay for these robots?
A reporter from Science and Technology Innovation Board Daily conversed with a Paris-based electronics distributor at the Unitree booth. The feedback was representative: he was intrigued by the robots and found the kung fu demos amusing, but when the topic shifted from 'what the robot can do' to 'how it helps your business,' he had no answer. The distributor acknowledged the robots were interesting but did not yet understand why he needed one.
This confusion was common at the venue. More than one Chinese robotics firm admitted that their presence at IFA aimed at brand exposure, client contacts, and finding European channels and solution partners. Yet when pressed about specific channel types, answers were vague. Some thought of existing delivery or cleaning robot channels; others suggested car dealerships might be worth approaching — many directions, few consensuses. The contrast was stark between the packed humanoid performances and the repetitive explanations by booth staff, who had to constantly explain: this is our product, it can do these things, and it could be used in these scenarios. They repeated the demo and spiel for every new group of visitors.
Behind this gap lies a clash of market logics. In a city that embraces engineer culture, IFA is essentially a venue for companies to do business and find clients, not a stage for flexing technological muscle. Visitors' most common question was straightforward: 'What problem does this product actually solve now?' One exhibitor joked half-seriously, 'In Shenzhen, investors won't look at you if you don't have two pages on embodied intelligence in your PPT; in Berlin, users leave immediately if your robot doesn't mow the lawn properly.' In the European market, technical jargon plays more of an explanatory tool to aid understanding than a marketing gimmick.
European demand is not absent. Jack Perry, chairman of the UK's 48 Group, brought concrete procurement directions: logistics, warehousing, hospitality, catering, and agriculture have urgent needs. However, he admitted that robot sales in Europe remain modest. He suggested that Chinese companies adopt a 'try-before-buy' model, offering European users one to two months of trial so they can validate effectiveness in real scenarios before deciding to purchase.
Shipping robots to Europe takes only a dozen hours, but truly entering the market requires far more. European customers are extremely cautious in their procurement logic. A Hikrobot spokesperson noted that European clients consider not only purchase cost but also total lifecycle cost, system stability, data compliance, and after-sales response speed. Pudu Robotics emphasized that localization is not merely sending a few sales reps; it demands building a local team covering sales, technical support, after-sales service, and marketing, operating as a genuine local company, and forging deep partnerships with local channels and integrators.
After IFA, the real test begins. European channels demand higher quality-price ratios than expected, the compliance checklist is longer, and after-sales investment heavier than predicted. Chinese robotics firms are heading to Europe, but many have yet to fully figure out the path.