At a State Council press conference on July 15, Wang Xingxing, founder and CEO of Unitree, projected significant acceleration in humanoid robot deployment across industrial, service, and hazardous environments within three to five years. This forecast coincides with multiple catalysts reigniting market enthusiasm for the sector after months of consolidation.

Shanghai Weir New Materials recently announced that Zhiyuan Robotics, a leader in embodied intelligence, plans to acquire its controlling stake through share transfers and tender offers via a dedicated holding platform. Though Zhiyuan clarified the transaction doesn’t constitute backdoor listing under major asset restructuring rules, the deal propelled Shanghai Weir’s shares to four consecutive 20% daily limit-ups, signaling capital markets’ endorsement of humanoid robotics ventures.

Simultaneously, China Mobile awarded Zhiyuan and Unitree a landmark ¥124 million procurement contract—the largest domestic humanoid robot order to date—confirming the industry’s transition from technical validation to commercial scaling. The project comprises two packages: a ¥78 million full-size humanoid bipedal robot contract secured by Zhiyuan, and a ¥46.05 million award to Unitree for compact humanoids, computing backpacks, and dexterous hands. China Mobile (Hangzhou) Information Technology, wholly owned by China Mobile Communications, administered the tender.

Elon Musk fueled anticipation by previewing Tesla’s year-end "epic and mind-blowing" demonstration event, speculated to feature Optimus Gen-3. Musk confirmed subsequent iterations would match human agility, calling Optimus Tesla’s most promising consumer product. Neuralink’s recent brain-chip advancements could enable full control of Optimus units via sensor integration.

Market projections underscore the momentum: GGII estimates global humanoid robot sales will reach 11,900 units ($1 billion) in 2024, surging to 680,000 units ($15.1 billion) by 2030. Wanlian Securities emphasizes cost reduction as pivotal for mass adoption, urging focus on core component manufacturers achieving low-cost production. Cinda Securities highlights lightweighting as critical for performance gains, noting magnesium alloys and PEEK engineering plastics offer optimal solutions.

Key concept stocks driving innovation: - Ubtech (09880): Secured 100 orders for its TianGong research robot, with over 300 educational units slated for 2024 delivery. Expanding production capacity to meet global demand. - Horizon Robotics-W (09660): Dah Sing forecasts 57.5% sales CAGR (2025-2027) and breakeven by 2028, projecting 54% ADAS chip market share among Chinese automakers by 2027. - TSUGAMI (01651): Manufactures precision machine tools essential for lead screw production—core components in humanoid linear actuators. - GAC Group (02238): Plans self-developed component sales by 2025, GoMate pilot applications, ¥30 million small-batch production in 2026, and scaled manufacturing by 2027. - RoboSense (02498): Develops perception, execution, and computing systems for humanoids, collaborating with 20+ global firms including Unitree and Shanghai Humanoid.