Germany's VDMA lobby calls on Europe to step up on humanoid robotics as Unitree surges

Aug 19 (Reuters) - Germany's VDMA engineering association on Wednesday said humanoid robotics should move to the top of the political agenda, calling on Germany and Europe to step up and create resilient domestic supply chains for sourcing critical parts.

• Shares in Unitree, China's best-known humanoid robot maker, soared in their Shanghai trading debut, in a landmark moment for the country's robotics sector, which has become a battleground in the Sino-U.S. tech war.

• Global humanoid robot shipments nearly quadrupled in the first half of this year to 19,100 units, with Chinese manufacturers dominating.

• The VDMA said a global race for leadership in humanoid robotics has begun, and the topic of humanoid robotics and physical AI must be placed at the top of the political agenda.

• The VDMA said the crucial challenge lies in scaling.

• "Germany and Europe must establish a comprehensive value chain featuring domestic production of critical components," said Hartmut Rauen, Deputy Executive Director of the VDMA.

(Reporting by Matthias Williams, editing by Thomas Seythal)