00:00Hello everyone, my name is Varouk, and I'm from the planet Namira.
00:04This long-eared, blue-eyed helper robot isn't actually from the planet Namira.
00:08It's from France, and it's one of many European models on display at this year's VivaTech Startup Fair in Paris,
00:15highlighting how the region is hoping to develop the service bot industry to fill in labor shortages and help out
00:21in an aging society.
00:25As a society, we are less accustomed to encountering this kind of machine.
00:29In Asia, you see them in hotels and other settings.
00:33In Europe, it's not so common.
00:35And I think we need to get used to having this kind of machine around.
00:41In 2025, about 87% of humanoid robots were made in China,
00:46where major developers like Unitree and Agibot dominate the industry and production is quick and cheaper.
00:54The result? Robots can be seen everywhere, doing everything from dancing
00:59to making tea
01:05and even running marathons.
01:09But security concerns are increasingly being raised when it comes to depending on Chinese supply chains.
01:16And European developers are seeking to keep production local for better data protection.
01:24We manufacture our robots in Paris,
01:26and we also try to source as many of our components as possible in Europe, in France.
01:31Today, around 60% of the robot is made in Europe, and we're fighting to keep it that way.
01:36But with Asian companies still in the lead for the tech needed to create intelligent, high-functioning robots,
01:42European companies still have some ways to go before they can completely rely on a regional supply chain.
01:49Lee Sin Chen and Tiffany Wong for Taiwan Plus.
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