The traditional southern manufacturing city of Foshan in Guangdong province is eyeing up something quite the opposite of traditional.

The city is hoping to implement more robots on the frontline of its manufacturing plants, in an age where high-tech production is widely regarded to be a long-term answer to future growth.

On July 21, Lu Yi, the mayor of Foshan said that workshops in the city currently need roughly 20,000 units of industrial robots, a figure which is growing at an annual rate of 40 percent.

"We only have about 3,000 robot units in use in factories so far; a long way to go to meet the market demand." Lu said.

Lu Yi, mayor of Foshan, speaks during the Innovative-Driven Development in Guangdong New Media Interview exchange meeting in Foshan on July 21, 2015. [Photo provided to China Daily]

As manufacturing costs surge and labor shortages worsen, the application of advanced technologies is a necessary measure to ensure that the industrial heartland in the Pearl River Delta stays competitive.

The city outlined an ambitious plan to transform itself into a leading equipment manufacturing base in the booming Pearl River Delta in late 2014 and promised at least 10 million yuan ($1.63 million) every year to support technological developments starting in 2015.

"We are keeping up with the innovation-driven development strategy put forward by the provincial government and seeking the launch of major technology platforms in the city," said Lu.

A staff member from Kingpeng Robotics, a local enterprise in Foshan, introduces their product to a visiting media group on July 21, 2015. [Photo provided to China Daily]

According to Lu, the city has drawn up a 2025 action plan to upgrade its manufacturing industry and intelligent manufacturing.

"The application of robots, a significant part of intelligent manufacturing, is especially important for Foshan, where the secondary industry accounts for around 62 percent of its economy," he said.

Statistics from the city's local human resources and social security department suggest that only 87 out of every 100 workers returned to work after the last Spring Festival. The increasing labor gap makes an increasingly strong case for the use of industrial robots.

Several robot research agencies have set up branches in Foshan, working on the research and promotion of the application of robotics based on local market demands. The city has also made efforts to bring in international robot brands such as Germany’s KUKA Robotics.