In the digital workshop of Luoshi (Shandong) Robot Group Co., Ltd. in Zoucheng, Jining, Shandong, robotic arms move rhythmically, precisely gripping, flipping, and assembling components. The low hum of motors and the "click" of precision parts being inserted fill the air. Here, "robots building robots" has become routine. "Completing the full assembly of a robot body takes just 37 minutes," says Cui Xuliang, product manager at Luoshi, standing by the production line, his eyes following the arms' movements. "It then undergoes 10 million cable bend tests with zero failures and 120 hours of rigorous inspection before being shipped globally." Today, 26 robot companies are clustered in Zoucheng, which has cultivated 3 national-level specialized and new "Little Giant" enterprises, 3 provincial-level single champion enterprises, and 2 provincial-level "Gazelle" enterprises. This has formed an industrial system covering all stages—controllers, servo systems, body manufacturing, and system integration—making it Shandong's largest industrial robot production base.

Zoucheng, once a typical resource-based city thriving on coal, has transformed over the past decade. How did this "coal city" pivot to producing robots? The confidence stems from Jining's complete industrial system. As one of Shandong's four key robot industrial development hubs, Jining possesses 38 of the 41 industrial categories, with strong foundations in engineering machinery, energy, and chemicals. In recent years, Jining has established the Shandong Robot Industry Association, hosted the Shandong Robot Conference, the 2026 Shandong Robot Spring Festival Gala, and the 2026 "Robot+" Innovation and Development Conference. It has also built an "One Network, Five Centers" industrial support platform, aiming to become a nationally influential robot industry base, with its industrial influence and scale steadily growing.

Mines require intelligent excavation, power plants need automated inspection, chemical plants demand unmanned explosion-proof operations, and warehouses rely on robots for transport. Leading enterprises like Yankuang Energy Group, Zouxian Power Plant, and Hengxin Group have solidified the foundations of coal power, equipment manufacturing, and fine chemicals—industries that are natural application scenarios for robots. Hundreds of meters underground, Shandong Tianhe Technology Co., Ltd.'s intelligent excavation and bolting robot is at work. This integrated device, combining excavation, support, dust removal, and drilling, allows operators to control underground operations remotely from the surface. In 2025, its excavation robot received provincial certification as a "first-set major technical equipment," integrating digital twin technology for 3D visualization of tunnel formation. Above ground, Shandong Jiekong Robot's strawberry-picking robot moves through smart greenhouses, blending AI with agronomy and linking to 5G environmental monitoring and integrated water-fertilizer systems. In the sky, the low-altitude economy is also thriving. In 2025, the Kebite Aviation Low-Altitude Economy Industrial Park settled in Zoucheng, producing 10,000 performance drones in just over a month, with "Made in Zoucheng" drones now flying to international markets.

Zoucheng's decades of expertise in mining machinery and electronics have accumulated a wealth of technical patents and skilled workers. Leveraging this foundation, Zoucheng took the lead in 2013 to deploy the robot industry, making smart manufacturing a breakthrough for transformation. Mining robots, in particular, are a "new branch" growing from the "coal pile." In Tianhe Technology's workshop, a hundred-ton intelligent excavation and bolting robot stands out. "Previously, an underground excavation face needed a dozen people," says Tian Jiageng, the project manager at the company. "Now, with remote control from the surface, two or three people can handle it, reducing labor by 40% while doubling efficiency." In 2016, Luoshi Robot, just starting in Beijing's Zhongguancun, chose to set up a production base in Zoucheng; in 2023, Luoshi moved its headquarters to Zoucheng. With Luoshi as the center, Zoucheng has precisely attracted upstream parts suppliers like Suzhou Mingchi and Keben Electric, as well as downstream system integrators like Tianda Hangke, with over 20 supporting companies settling in, forming a "15-minute supply chain circle" covering core components, body manufacturing, and system integration. In the workshop of Shandong Tuoqiang Electric Co., Ltd., less than 100 meters from Luoshi, workers move among equipment as machines hum. "About 80% of our products go directly to Luoshi, and this year's capacity is expected to exceed 10 million yuan, far exceeding expectations," says Li Xin, the company's business manager.

From mines to workshops, from the ground to the low-altitude, Zoucheng's robot industry has formed a chain. Zoucheng has built the Jining Robot Industrial Park and Luoshi Smart Manufacturing Industrial Park to high standards, establishing 85 provincial-level innovation platforms and 10 university-enterprise joint labs. The Shandong Smart Robot Application Technology Research Institute integrates research, transformation, talent cultivation, and incubation. The Jining Branch of the National Robot Inspection and Testing Public Service Platform provides local testing and certification services. Together, these two platforms have implemented 57 industrial transformation projects, undertaken 49 provincial-level or above technology projects, and transformed 205 research results locally. Zoucheng has innovatively implemented "dual-chain parallel approval" and "park affairs handled in the park" reforms, delegating 19 high-frequency government service items. It has also formed an "e-road pet enterprise" service team to provide full-lifecycle, accompanying services. Currently, the city's online handling rate for enterprise-related matters is stable at over 99%, and investment in the "four new" economies accounts for 56.7%. The robot industry in Zoucheng has grown into a new growth pole for the county economy, with an average annual growth rate of over 20% in the past three years, strongly supporting the city's transformation from a resource-based city to a smart manufacturing hub.