From 18 to 20 June 2025, the 12th GSMA Mobile World Congress (MWC Shanghai) was successfully held at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre and the Kerry Hotel Pudong. As one of the most influential communication technology exhibitions in the Asia-Pacific region, MWC Shanghai has once again become an important gathering place for the global technology ecosystem. This year's conference specially introduced the "2025 World Robot Competition Competition", and for the first time, a robot competition was set up in the communication conference to show the latest progress of the deep integration of 5G and AI in the robot industry, which became the focus of the audience.
1. The integration of science and technology gives birth to a new blue ocean: 5G + AI builds the future picture
With the acceleration of global digitalization, emerging technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT) are gradually reshaping the operating model of various industries. According to the latest GSMA forecast, by 2030, mobile technology will create about US$2 trillion in value in China's economy, accounting for about 10% of the country's GDP. Globally, mobile technology is expected to contribute nearly $11 trillion and become a key engine for the next generation of productivity leaps.
Nowhere was this trend more evident than at MWC Shanghai. Giants in the communications industry have unveiled their core technologies, focusing on topics such as 5G-Advanced, AI large models, terminal intelligence, and industrial digitalization. Huawei showcased its 5.5G, AI for Network, Smart City, and Smart Manufacturing solutions, emphasizing "building the foundation of an intelligent world". Honor has released a variety of AI mobile phones and AI PC devices, focusing on the practical application of end-side large models in consumer electronics scenarios. Lenovo brought its edge computing terminal and AI server portfolio to show its full-stack product layout from consumer to enterprise. ZTE focused on its breakthroughs in the fields of 5G core network, cloud infrastructure, and AI scheduling platform.
The display of these companies reveals that 5G and AI are evolving from the underlying supporting technologies of communication to the "super technology engine" that promotes industrial upgrading, social governance, and even consumer experience reconstruction.
Picture: The 2025 World Robot Competition selection competition will be held at the same time in Shanghai, MWC2025
2. The deep meaning behind the robot competition: the window for the application of new technologies is fully opened
One of the major innovations of this year's MWC Shanghai is the joint holding of the 2025 World Robot Competition Trials. The event attracted dozens of teams from universities, enterprises and scientific research institutions, covering industrial robots, service robots, educational robots and other tracks. In the exhibition area, all kinds of robots focus on automatic handling, path planning, image recognition, human-computer interaction and other tasks, with both technical content and practicability, which not only shows the breakthrough of robot ontology technology, but also presents an important path for the implementation of 5G+AI technology.
The data shows that global industrial robot shipments increased from 391,000 units in 2016 to 511,000 units in 2021, with a compound annual growth rate of 5.3%; The performance of the Chinese market is particularly prominent, with sales increasing from 97,000 units to 271,000 units, with a compound annual growth rate of 22.3%, becoming the world's most important robot market.
The explosive growth of the robot industry is inseparable from the support of underlying communication and intelligent technology. 5G provides high bandwidth, low latency, and large connection capabilities, enabling robots to obtain and process huge data streams in real time to achieve high-precision control and remote collaboration. AI empowerment enables robots to perceive, learn, judge and adapt to the environment, promoting their evolution from "passive tools" to "agents". According to data provided by ZTE, with the support of 5G, the response time of industrial robots to handle complex tasks is shortened by about 30%, and the task execution efficiency is increased by about 25%, significantly reducing manufacturing costs and improving production flexibility.
3. Challenges and risks: a critical crossroads towards a smart society
Although the technological dividends are expected, the process of industrial upgrading is not without challenges. First, 5G infrastructure construction is still facing high-cost pressures. According to the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, in order to complete the full coverage of the national 5G network, the cumulative investment of operators may exceed 200 billion yuan. In addition, as the density of network equipment deployment increases, cybersecurity risks become increasingly prominent. According to the Ministry of Public Security, 5G-related data breaches and attacks in China will increase by more than 20% in 2023, mainly in the industrial system and transportation sectors
The development of AI and robotics is also having a profound impact on the structure of the workforce. Some repetitive jobs may be replaced by automation, which will lead to the problem of employment retraining and adaptation to the social security system. At the same time, the "black box" and ethical responsibility of robot algorithm decision-making also pose challenges to the legal system and social governance capabilities.
Therefore, the future development of science and technology requires more systematic institutional design and cross-departmental coordination. At the policy level, it is necessary to strengthen the technical supervision of 5G network security, and formulate and update the legal framework for the ethics and responsibility of robot applications. From the industrial level, it is necessary to strengthen the upstream and downstream coordination of the industrial chain and reduce the dependence on the localization of key devices (such as industrial chips and servo systems); From the education level, it is necessary to accelerate the cultivation of new engineering talents and build an interdisciplinary talent system.
According to McKinsey, by 2030, China's annual R&D investment in 5G, AI, robotics and other fields will exceed 100 billion yuan; At the same time, the number of graduates of related majors will exceed 1 million, providing continuous impetus for industrial innovation.
4. Summary: Takeaways from MWC Shanghai
MWC Shanghai 2025 is not only a platform for communication technology, but also an important venue for the convergence of global cutting-edge technologies and industrial docking. From the communication vision of "Internet of Everything" to the practice of "ubiquitous intelligence" robots, the exhibition showcases China's innovation resilience and potential in the global technology competition landscape.
In the new blue ocean of $2 trillion of China's science and technology driven by 5G + AI, the integration of vertical industries such as communication and intelligent manufacturing, consumer electronics, and industrial control has accelerated, injecting surging impetus into the development of China's and even the world's technology industry.
In the future, the industry urgently needs to grasp the structural opportunities brought about by the convergence of the "5G deep water area" and the "AI transition period", not only focusing on the continuous evolution of the technology stack, but also making forward-looking arrangements in terms of business models, ecological construction, and policy guidance. Only in this way can we take the lead in the critical stage of reshaping the global technology landscape and promote the intelligent society from vision to reality.
