(April 3): Chinese humanoid robot maker UBTech Robotics Corp is seeking a chief scientist, offering an annual pay of as much as 124 million yuan (US$18 million) in an aggressive bet on an industry where product applications are still at an early stage.
The role will define UBTech’s humanoid robots and embodied intelligence roadmap and lead research on artificial intelligence (AI) models, the Shenzhen-based company said in a statement on Thursday. UBTech will also seek to expand its engineering team with dozens more hires, according to the release.
The advertised salary is unusual for a Chinese AI industry that’s eschewed the mega pay packages that the likes of Meta Platforms Inc have put together for elite scientists and engineers.
Investor enthusiasm for China’s humanoid robotics sector has extended into 2026, fuelled early this year with a big presence at the CES tech showcase in Las Vegas and a starring role for two-legged droids at the Spring Festival Gala in China, a nationally televised event watched by hundreds of millions. Successful initial public offerings in Hong Kong by AI developers Minimax Group Inc and Zhipu also signalled a high degree of conviction in Chinese AI competitiveness.
Chinese premier Li Qiang has highlighted robots as one of the key future industries for development priority in a government work report outlining policies for this year. UBTech, the country’s first listed humanoid robot maker, this week logged a more than 50% jump in sales last year. Revenue from full-size humanoid robot products and services grew more than 20 times during the period.
Foreign firms such as Tesla Inc are also racing to scale up production to meet growing demand to deploy smart robots on factory floors. UBTech said in January that Airbus SE purchased its Walker S2 humanoids for use at aircraft plants, though it did not provide details of the deal.
See also: Quartz-powered robots are transforming Singapore’s manufacturing floor
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