On this episode of China Manufacturing Decoded, Adrian is joined by Kate, who leads the supply chain management team at The Sophist Group, to unpack her top takeaways from CES 2026. Kate reports on the scale of the show, who was there, and what matters for product teams, developers and manufacturing leaders.

Episode Sections:

01:00 – CES 2026 overview: scale, attendance & significance
Kate gives headline numbers: attendance, international visitors, exhibitors, and why this was the biggest post-pandemic CES.
02:19 – Why CES still matters: networking & deal-making
CES is positioned as a major networking event for hardware companies, startups, and partners.
02:57 – Surge of Chinese exhibitors at CES
Kate explains the sharp increase in Chinese suppliers and how Eureka Park has changed.
03:55 – Eureka Park explained & why it matters
What Eureka Park is, why it’s important, and how it differs from the main convention halls.
04:36 – Humanoid robots emerge as the biggest trend
Robotics numbers, China’s dominance, and the rise of affordable humanoid robots.
05:09 – Real-world humanoid robot capabilities
Examples of shipping models, pricing, applications, and programmability.
06:36 – From viral clips to serious industrial AI
Discussion of public misconceptions vs what was actually demonstrated at CES.
07:31 – Physical AI & China’s hardware advantag
Why China excels at turning AI concepts into physical products quickly and cheaply.
08:16 – Regulation risks & trade considerations
Concerns about regulation, drones, and geopolitical limits when using Chinese AI hardware.
09:01 – Western tech giants respond (chips, OS, industrial AI)
NVIDIA, Siemens, Qualcomm, and others building humanoid and robotics ecosystems.
10:06 – Edge AI & on-device intelligence
Shift toward low-power, on-device AI for privacy, speed, and autonomy.
11:08 – Other global players at CES
France, Korea, Hong Kong, and their strengths across AI, mobility, health tech, and industry.
13:04 – Fun tech, tracking & wearables everywhere
Smart collars, VR Lego, transparent displays, health tracking, and elder-care tech.
14:49 – AI in smart manufacturing & formulation
AI-assisted production, cosmetics, materials mixing, and industrial applications.
15:51 – Manufacturing strategy discussions at CES
Conversations with exhibitors about shifting production out of China — and back again.
16:28 – Why companies return to China for early runs
Speed, ecosystem depth, prototyping, and complex AI electronics remain China’s edge.
17:11 – Hybrid manufacturing strategies
Starting in China, then diversifying later once scale and risk justify it.
18:09 – Tariffs, uncertainty & predictability
Why geopolitical volatility elsewhere makes China comparatively predictable for many US firms.
19:38 – Final takeaways: manufacturing is mathematics
No single recipe — strategy depends on product, scale, cost, and risk.
20:03 – Wrap-up & Sofeast support
Adrian summarizes, invites listeners to get in touch, and closes the episode.

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