Humanoid robots: China builds them, but Germany could supply the joints and hands
Europe has so far built few humanoid robots, yet could profit from each one. German car part suppliers may play a key role in joints, says a Fraunhofer study.
Humanoid robots are a field dominated by big tech corporations, but traditional industries also play a significant role. European companies have been producing motors, gearboxes, bearings, and sensors for decades, which are essential components in humanoid robots. German research is still in its early stages, but industrial suppliers already lead in producing specialized parts.
Europe currently plays a negligible role in delivering finished machines, but German companies could profit from potential growth by supplying components instead of building the robots themselves.
A report by the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA suggests that the component business could be easier for Germany to capture. According to Vincent Bezold, head of the Automated Manufacturing Systems business segment at IPA, the potential along the German and European supply chain is vast. The market for humanoid robots is expected to be worth around 30 billion dollars by 2030.
China currently dominates global deliveries of humanoid robots, with 97 percent of the 19,100 robots delivered in the first half of 2026 coming from China. Germany could still benefit from this trend by supplying the specialized parts that Chinese manufacturers need. German and European automotive suppliers, such as Schaeffler, Bosch, Schunk, Wittenstein, and Neugart, already possess the expertise and production facilities for the components required in humanoid robots.
However, challenges remain, such as durability and production lifetimes of components. Some Chinese models have durability issues, with individual components lasting only a few weeks under heavy load. German automotive companies, on the other hand, have developed components that can last longer. The main difficulty lies in the existing supply chains, which are primarily developed locally around the original manufacturers.
As the majority of humanoids currently come from China, supplier structures are likely to form there as well.
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