The World Robot Conference (WRC), an event jointly sponsored by the People's Government of Beijing Municipality, the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), and the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), kicked off in Beijing Tuesday. 

Themed "Intelligent Ecosystem for a New Open Era," the conference consists of a main forum and over 20 thematic forums and will last six days. 

The main forum will be attended by over 300 leading robotics experts and business leaders from China, Russia, the United States, Germany, Italy, Canada, the Republic of Korea, Switzerland and Israel. Topics will include international cooperation and opportunities, basic technology and innovation, frontier trends and explorations, AI integration, emerging applications and practices, and market prospects and investment. 

Each of the 20 thematic forums has a different focus ranging from technological innovation, robotics+, industrial application, regional coordination, to industry development. 

Beijing Mayor Chen Jining noted how the current round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is impacting the robot industry in his speech at the opening ceremony. 

With breakthroughs in the new generation of information technology taking place at a faster speed, as represented by AI, the research, development and application of robots are also seeing fast development worldwide and robots are deeply penetrating various areas of production and life, Chen remarked. 

"Robots, which are traditionally used for carrying or assembling things, are becoming more intelligent and more capable of performing delicate tasks. They are being rapidly put to use in advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and daily life," Chen said. 

Miao Wei, minister of the MIIT, pointed out the problems and challenges the robot industry is facing while noting the slower growth in industrial robots this year. 

He said that core technologies need to improve, application scenarios and areas need to expand, and risk control and legal systems need to strengthen. 

Miao believed, however, that robots are still an important driving force for achieving high-quality manufacturing growth. 

"China is pursuing high-quality development for its manufacturing industry, and intelligent manufacturing is an important direction," said the minister, welcoming more international participation in China's robot industry. 

The global robot market is expected to reach $29.41 billion in 2019, with China contributing $8.68 billion, according to the 2019 report on China's robot industry released during the conference by the Chinese Institute of Electronics. 

Huai Jinpeng, executive vice president of the CAST, proposed several ways for the sound development of the robot industry, which included enriching the supply of robot products, building an ecology favorable for innovation, paying attention to ethical issues, and upholding openness and cooperation. 

Oussama Khatib, president of the International Foundation of Robotics Research, applauded the role of the WRC in stimulating collaboration and promoting innovation in robotics when speaking on behalf of the 22 international organizations providing support for this year's edition at the opening ceremony. 

Over the years, the WRC has established a unique platform for all stakeholders to communicate and explore common visions for the development of robotics and its industry, said Khatib. 

The World Robot Exhibition 2019 and the World Robot Contests 2019 will be held concurrently. 

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