The 2026 Hangzhou International Embodied Robot Scenario Application Competition will be held on May 15 and 16 in Yunqi Town, a robotics industry hub in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.

The event aims to speed up the transition of embodied intelligence technologies from laboratory research to practical industrial application, a key focus amid the global race for tech dominance, according to a statement from the organizer on Saturday.

As the global technological and industrial revolution accelerates, embodied intelligence, represented by humanoid robots, has become a core track for countries to compete for technological advantages.

The industry is currently in a critical transition period, moving from technological breakthroughs to commercial validation, and the ability of robots to operate stably in real and complex environments is crucial to their large-scale industrialization, it added.

"The ultimate value of robotic technology lies not in technical stunts, but in serving humanity," Li Yongwei, chief engineer of the Economy and Information Technology Department of Zhejiang, said.

Guided by the core principle of "real demand, real scenario, and real implementation", the competition consists of three contests. The Professional Test Competition evaluates robots in five key dimensions — mobility, endurance, navigation, voice interaction, and manipulation. Some events will adopt robot autonomous perception instead of remote controls, the organizer said.

The Scenario Application Challenge features tasks derived from real business pain points of leading enterprises such as Ant Group and Greentown Group. Participating teams may be required to tackle challenges related to extreme maneuvering ability and fire rescue emergency management.

Hosted at Yunqi Town, a key hub for robotics firms in Hangzhou, the event aims to build a collaborative ecosystem involving enterprises, research institutions, investors, and universities. It is expected to attract over 100 domestic and international teams and nearly 1,000 high-end professionals in the robotics field, according to the organizer.