Unitree Robotics is strengthening its presence in Europe, as demand for advanced quadruped and humanoid robots expands from academic research into industrial and commercial applications, according to its Europe-based distributors, engineers, and company executives.
The Chinese robotics company, which has gained global recognition for its agile quadruped platforms and fast-developing humanoid robots, is increasingly positioning Europe as a core overseas market.
While early adoption was driven mainly by universities and research institutes, demand is now shifting toward logistics, manufacturing, and service-oriented industrial uses.
Industry participants say this transition reflects both rapid technological maturation and growing international confidence in Chinese robotics capabilities.
"Unitree is definitely one of our best-selling product lines," said Daniel Kottlarz, a long-term European distributor. "Today, demand is so strong that we are selling more units than we can currently receive."
Unitree Robotics' European story began well before humanoid robots entered mainstream discussions.
Kottlarz recalls first encountering the company in 2016, when founder Wang Xingxing published early research on low-cost quadruped robots.
"I was studying electronics at the time and found the technology fascinating," Kottlarz said. "So, I sent him an email asking where I could buy one."
At that time, commercial production had not yet begun.
"Wang replied and told me he was still in the process of founding what later became Unitree Robotics," he said.
What followed was the beginning of a long-term partnership that would evolve alongside the company's global expansion.
"I would say we were among Unitree's very first customers," Kottlarz said. "We still have one robot with a three-digit serial number. From what I understand, we may have been the first overseas partner to sell Unitree robots."
Today, Kottlarz's company operates not only as a distributor but also as a robotics integration hub.
"MyBotShop is more than a retailer," he said. "We develop software applications, proof-of-concept projects, and complete robotics software stacks. Our goal is to build a full robotics ecosystem."
He added that this system-level approach has been key to Unitree's success in Europe, as its customer base in Europe has undergone a significant transformation in recent years.
"Initially, most customers were universities and research institutes," Kottlarz said. "They were using the robots as research platforms."
To support them, his company developed software tools and technical resources by building its own robot operating system and software development kit, providing documentation, and helping customers get started quickly.
However, demand patterns have shifted rapidly.
"Since late last year, demand has increasingly shifted toward industrial customers," Kottlarz said. "These include automotive suppliers, logistics companies, and manufacturers. They are trying to automate manual tasks such as material handling, assembly, and warehouse operations."
According to Kottlarz, humanoid robots are particularly well suited to European industrial environments.
"Most workplaces today are designed for humans, so humanoid robots are a natural solution for many of these applications," he said, emphasizing that the long-term goal is autonomy rather than remote operation.
"Our goal is not simply remote-controlled robots, but fully autonomous systems."
Key advantages
Kottlarz said the company has been successful in Europe because it has offered exactly what the customer wants.
"I think the biggest advantage is the combination of quality, technology, and affordability," he said, noting that while German engineering has traditionally set global standards, Chinese robotics companies have advanced rapidly.
"Traditionally, German products were considered the benchmark for quality," he said. "But in robotics, Chinese manufacturers have improved tremendously over the past few years. Unitree products are extremely well engineered, reliable, and durable."
He also pointed to the company's actuator systems as a core technical strength, saying: "Their actuators use sophisticated planetary gear systems that provide high torque while remaining back-drivable. This is why Unitree robots can run quickly, perform backflips, and execute highly dynamic movements."
He added that the torque-to-weight ratio of its robots "is outstanding".
Reliability, he said, is another distinguishing factor.
"Compared with many other manufacturers, we receive very few robots for repair," he said. "Most Unitree robots continue operating for years, even when customers push them to their limits."
At MyBotShop, mechanical engineer Erik Butterhoff handles both customization and repair.
"Here, we develop custom hardware solutions for customers using robots, including Unitree platforms," he said.
His work includes integrating robotic parts and specialized components tailored to customer requirements, such as legs and arms that have special uses.
And his work also, naturally, includes repairing robots, Butterhoff said, if a customer damages a robot by, for example, breaking a leg.
Some cases reflect extreme usage conditions.
He said customers sometimes ship them a robot that has a leg hanging loose because it has fallen from a great height.
"You generally have to be quite rough with these robots before something actually breaks," he said proudly.
He added that software will define the next stage of robotics development.
"From a hardware perspective, the technology is already very mature," he said. "The next big step is software. As vision-language-action models improve, robots will become more capable of understanding and interacting with their environment."
Butterhoff believes humanoid robots will eventually enter households and become part of daily life.
Overseas markets
From the perspective of Unitree's market leadership, Europe has long been a strategic overseas region, rather than a newly emerging market.
Huang Jiawei, Unitree's marketing head, said overseas markets have played a major role since the company began commercial operations.
"Since 2018, overseas markets have accounted for about 50 percent of our total sales," Huang said. "Europe and the United States are both very important markets for us … We already have many long-term customers and a mature distribution network abroad."
While recent high-profile attention has increased visibility, Huang said the company's European engagement predates such events.
"External attention may have increased recently, but in fact, we have been working with many countries and regions for a long time," he said, adding that recognition from Europe is welcomed.
"We hope more users can understand Unitree, experience our products, and apply robots in real-world scenarios."
Huang emphasized that Unitree's development is closely linked to global academic and industrial collaboration.
"Many universities and laboratories around the world use our robots for research and publish academic results based on them," he said, adding that this collaboration is not one-directional.
"They also provide feedback to us. Many motion control capabilities demonstrated in recent performances are based on research from global universities."
He stressed that robotics innovation is a global process.
"We believe the robotics industry is driven jointly by academia and industry worldwide," he said, adding that Unitree is expanding open collaboration efforts.
Global expansion
Huang described Europe as a key component of Unitree's global footprint.
"Europe has always been a key market for us," he said. "Overseas markets account for about half of our total revenue."
He added that Unitree also supplies core components in addition to complete robots and pointed to broader application areas, including entertainment robotics projects that use Unitree hardware at foundational levels and expanding application scenarios across multiple sectors.
"For quadruped robots, we already have applications in inspection and fire response," he said. "In the future, we hope to expand into logistics and transportation."
He also sees strong potential in consumer markets.
"Consumer-grade quadruped robots may take on companion roles in households," he said.
Huang emphasized the likely long-term societal impact of humanoid robots, with the ultimate vision being broad adoption.
"Our goal is to improve how people work and live," he said. "In complex and repetitive environments, humanoid robots can operate 24 hours a day and take on difficult tasks. Our final goal is for robots to enter every household and handle daily tasks such as cleaning and cooking."
Huang highlighted care of the elderly as a particularly promising application area.
"Compared with household applications, it may achieve large-scale adoption earlier," he said, noting that the structure of the sector makes it suitable for early deployment.
"The tasks in elderly care are clearer and more defined, so it may be one of the earliest commercially viable applications."
In Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, Unitree headquarters employee Xie Shiyu described mixed emotions when the company's robots attracted international attention during a visit by Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz in February.
"We felt very excited, but also a bit nervous," she said. "At the same time, we were very proud … Germany is a globally recognized manufacturing powerhouse. This visit represents recognition of both Chinese robotics technology and Unitree."
On international expansion, Xie added: "Domestic and overseas markets are equally important for us. From the very beginning, we have focused on both."