Source: NYT > Business (paywall)
Chinese manufacturers have leveraged their EV production expertise to dominate component sourcing for robotics—from motors to controllers—at costs and volumes Western competitors cannot replicate, effectively making China the parts supplier of last resort for most robot builders globally. This reflects accumulated manufacturing infrastructure, vertical integration, and government support that have created a structural advantage. For Western robotics companies and the industries they serve, this dependency raises immediate questions about supply security, IP protection, and whether building alternative supply chains is economically feasible or already too late.