China’s Midea pledges US$8.7 billion for AI and robotics in pivot to automation

South China Morning PostEN 1 min read 100% complete by Coco Feng,Yulu AoMarch 11, 2026 at 03:30 PM

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Midea Group, a Chinese home appliance giant and owner of Kuka Robotics, announced plans to invest 60 billion yuan (US$8.7 billion) in AI and robotics research and development over the next three years. This investment, matching their spending of the past five years, will focus on areas like AI and embodied intelligence. The move follows Midea's recent unveiling of the Miro U humanoid robot, which has already improved efficiency at one of its washing machine factories in Wuxi. Since acquiring Kuka in 2017, Midea has increased its focus on robotics, including establishing a state key laboratory and an innovation center for humanoid robots. This investment reflects a broader trend among Chinese electric appliance makers to embrace automation and AI technologies.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Germany 30% Shanghai 40% Wuxi 40% Jiangsu province 40% China ×270% Kuka ×280% Midea Group ×590%

Keywords

ai and robotics 90% artificial intelligence 90% automation 80% embodied intelligence 80% humanoid robots 70% midea group 70% kuka 60% robotics sector 60%