Nanjing to Host Robotics Conference Focused on Welding Training, Industry-Academia Alliance

The National Embodied AI Robotics Ecosystem Development and Industry-Academia Integration Innovation Conference is scheduled for October 20–21 in Nanjing. The event will focus on several pressing bottlenecks facing the robotics industry: how to break out of the cycle of performance-style demonstrations, where real commercialization scenarios lie, and how to cultivate high-end R&D and skilled talent.

Industry leaders including Unitree Robotics, iFlytek, and Jicui Intelligent Manufacturing will join hundreds of Chinese universities to launch the National Embodied AI Robotics Industry-Academia Integration Alliance. The alliance aims to bridge research and industrial application.

A highlight will be the unveiling of China's first embodied AI robotics welding training ground. This facility is designed to provide realistic training for robots in welding tasks, a critical industrial application. The conference signals a shift toward practical deployment and workforce development in embodied AI.

By bringing together academia and industry, organizers hope to align curricula with real-world needs and accelerate the translation of embodied AI from labs to factories. The welding training ground will serve as a testbed for both hardware and software, helping standardize training protocols and evaluate robot performance in demanding environments.