로봇산업에서 후발기업의 대안적 경쟁전략 — 중국 유니트리 사례를 중심으로

초록

This study examines the alternative competitive strategies of latecomer firms in the robotics industry, focusing on the case of China‘s Unitree Robotics. The research aims to explore how latecomer firms can establish competitive advantages in technology-intensive industries traditionally dominated by advanced economies. Using a single case study approach, the study analyzes secondary data to investigate Unitree’s strategic trajectory. The findings reveal that Unitree‘s strategy integrates four core components: cost innovation, speed-based competition, market expansion, and institutional-environmental fit. Unlike leading firms that compete through technological sophistication and high-performance benchmarks, Unitree redefined competitive standards through accessible pricing, rapid commercialization, and iterative improvement. Furthermore, the study highlights how China’s institutional and regional innovation ecosystems function as enabling conditions that enhance the firm‘s strategic execution capacity. Theoretically, the research extends the latecomer strategy framework by conceptualizing the institutional environment not as an external constraint but as a strategic resource in high-tech industries. Practically, the findings suggest that emerging firms can achieve differentiated competitiveness by integrating cost, speed, and market strategies within favorable institutional contexts.

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