The Central China R&D and Production Center, located in Wuhan Economic & Technological Development Zone (WHDZ) funded and developed by Japan-based manufacturer FANUC officially went into operation on Dec 9, according to the Changjiang Daily.
The arrival of FANUC is a coup for the WHDZ, said zone officials.
FANUC is a well-known manufacturer of automated factories, robots and intelligent machines. Together with ABB, KUKA and Yaskawa, it is known as the "big four" in the industrial robot industry.
Officials said it is the first multinational company to promote robotics in China.
In 1997, FANUC and Shanghai Electric jointly established Shanghai FANUC Robotics Co, which is committed to providing professional and high-quality robots, intelligent machines and automated production systems for factory manufacturing.
In July last year, FANUC invested 100 million yuan ($14.21 million) in developing the Central China R&D and Production Center.
The project, which covers an area of 14,000 square meters, aims to create a Central China base that integrates robot sales, displays, training, technical support and warehousing.
It is FANUC’s fourth base in China, following production facilities in Shanghai, Guangzhou in Guangdong province and Chongqing.
