Bien Perez for South China Morning Post: � Annual spending on robotics in mainland China is forecast to continue its rapid expansion and exceed US$59 billion by 2020, as demand ramps up in the countrys manufacturing industry.

The mainland will remain the single largest and fastest-growing robotics market in the world, accounting for more than 30 per cent of global spending during that period, according to a report released Tuesday by technology research firm IDC.

“China continues to lead the growth of worldwide robotics adoption, primarily driven by strong spending growth in process manufacturing and cross-industry applications,” said Zhang Jing Bing, IDCs research director for worldwide robotics and Asia-Pacific manufacturing.

Robotics expenditure on the mainland is projected to hit US$59.4 billion in 2020, more than double the estimated spending of US$24.6 billion last year. That would make up about half of the Asia-Pacifics US$133 billion in forecast robotic spending in 2020. � Full Article: