In the coming years, up to half of the staffing levels on the production lines in Shunde will disappear as manufacturers upgrade their facilities by using smart, or robotic, technology.
Companies are already planning to introduce about 1,500 industrial robots this year after investing more than 700 million yuan.
Home appliance company Midea Group, for example, has installed more than 800 robots to improve production efficiency, which is now 10 percent higher.
In China, demand for robots has increased dramatically. Last year, sales in robotic technology jumped 54 percent to 5.6 million items compared to 2013, Xinhua News Agency reported. "The demand for industrial robots will continue on an upward trend as China needs more advanced equipment to upgrade its manufacturing," Zhang said.
Home appliances produced at Shunde were worth 228.1 billion yuan last year, or 15 percent of the country's total output, and that is likely to increase in the future.
"The industry has laid solid foundations for expansion in industrial robot technology, which will increase production," Zhang said.
For those workers that are made redundant, local authorities will provide training courses to help them find new jobs. The booming robotics industry will also create openings. "A growing number of companies are manufacturing industrial robots in the Pearl River Delta," Xie Guogao, deputy director of Foshan Economic and Information Bureau, said. Figures released by the Shunde Economy, Science and Technology Bureau show that there are more than 20 companies in the area manufacturing industrial robots.
Many are joint ventures with international partners such as ABB Ltd, one of the world's leading engineering companies based in Switzerland, and Comau SpA, which specializes in advanced manufacturing in Italy.
Local authorities in Shunde plan to build an industrial robot park and establish a research institute. "These companies will create new jobs for workers," Xie said.
LiuMei, an official from the training and employment department of Foshan human resources and social security authority, echoed those views. Training courses in technology will be available to workers and this will equip them with the skills they require in this brave, new automated world.
"Moreover, the booming tertiary education industry will provide more jobs for workers, who were previously on production lines," Liu said.
GMCC, one of the world's leading compressor suppliers, has retrained employees from the production line and turned them into technicians, overseeing the automated systems.
"We are providing training and relevant academic courses for our workers," LiuYinhu, deputy general manager of GMCC, said. "We will guarantee new jobs to those who are qualified after training."
The Shunde-based company manufactures one-third of the world's compressors and employs more than 3,000 workers. Since 2013, GMCC has imported 112 industrial robots from Japan and Germany. "Along with business expansion, it is very important to introduce smart equipment," Liu said.
