What are the popular trends in 2026, not just embodied intelligence and AI?
Looking back and looking forward from the vantage point of 2026, the global economy has gradually emerged from the post - pandemic shock and adjustment period and entered a "new normal" triggered by technological singularities, reshaped geopolitical landscapes, and deepened green transitions.
Concepts such as "artificial intelligence" and "new energy," which have been repeatedly mentioned in the past few years, have evolved from speculative themes in the capital market to the underlying infrastructure of the real economy. In 2026, the popular trends are no longer the solo advancement of single technologies but the implementation of scenarios and the reconstruction of industrial chains under the integration of multiple technologies.
The five most certain core trends in 2026 are: new - type energy storage and virtual power plants becoming the "smart heart" of the energy system; the commercialization of embodied intelligence and humanoid robots; the industry reconstruction driven by AI Agents; the large - scale explosion of the low - altitude economy; and the cross - border integration of synthetic biology and precision medicine.
Embodied Intelligence Reaches the Critical Point
The period from 2024 to 2025 was the "inaugural year" and "verification period" for humanoid robots, while 2026 is the real "commercial implementation year." With the exponential leap in the multi - modal capabilities of large models, robots are no longer just mechanical arms executing pre - set programs but have become "embodied intelligent agents" capable of understanding natural language, perceiving complex environments, and making autonomous decisions.
In 2026, thanks to the strong impetus of the domestic supply chain, the cost of the core components of humanoid robots, such as harmonic reducers, frameless torque motors, and high - precision sensors, has decreased by more than 60% compared with three years ago. The cost of the whole machine is expected to drop to the range of $20,000 - $30,000, which makes it highly profitable (ROI) in industries sensitive to labor costs, such as automobile manufacturing and 3C electronics assembly. Leading enterprises such as Tesla Optimus, Figure AI, and China's domestic UBTECH and Fourier Intelligence are expected to achieve batch deliveries of thousands of units in 2026 and truly enter factory workshops.
In addition to traditional industrial scenarios, embodied intelligence began to penetrate into the commercial service field in 2026. In logistics and warehousing, robots with bipedal walking ability can adapt to non - standardized shelf environments; in the elderly care field, although it will take time to completely replace caregivers, functions such as auxiliary handling and companion interaction have entered the pilot stage. For investors, the focus should shift from simple whole - machine manufacturers to "brain" providers with core algorithm barriers and "cerebellum" and "limb" suppliers with precision manufacturing capabilities.
AI Agents Will Become "Digital Employees"
If 2023 - 2024 was the explosive period for generative AI (AIGC), then 2026 is the mature period for AI Agents. Large models are no longer just question - answering machines but have evolved into "digital employees" capable of autonomously planning tasks, invoking tools, performing operations, and reflecting on results.
In 2026, the enterprise software ecosystem will undergo a disruptive transformation. The traditional SaaS (Software as a Service) model is accelerating its transformation to the MaaS (Model as a Service) + Agent model. In fields such as financial risk control, legal compliance, code writing, and marketing, AI Agents can independently complete the entire process from data collection, analysis, and judgment to report generation. For example, in the cross - border e - commerce field, AI Agents can automatically monitor global public opinion, adjust advertising strategies, and even independently complete customer service negotiations. This "unmanned" operation will significantly reduce the marginal cost of enterprises and improve operational efficiency.
In the consumer market, mobile operating systems in 2026 will be fully Agent - enabled. Each smartphone has a built - in super - assistant that understands your habits and preferences. It can not only arrange schedules and book restaurants but also handle complex tasks across applications, such as "planning a family trip and booking all flights, hotels, and tickets." This will give rise to new traffic entrances and business models. The traditional isolated APPs will be broken, and service distribution based on intent will become the mainstream. For the capital market, Agent platforms with high - quality vertical industry data and the ability to build closed - loop execution will be the next high - value trillion - level valuation targets.
New - Type Energy Storage and Virtual Power Plants
If other trends are the "engines" and "wings" of economic development, then new - type energy storage and virtual power plants are the "heart" and "nervous system" that ensure all of this operates efficiently. In 2026, with the in - depth implementation of the "dual carbon" goal and the huge power consumption of AI computing power, the energy system is undergoing a profound transformation from "power generation following load" to "interaction among power generation, grid, load, and energy storage."
2026 is regarded as the "sprint year" for the industrialization of solid - state batteries and the "popularization year" for semi - solid - state batteries. Compared with traditional liquid lithium - ion batteries, solid - state batteries have high safety (eliminating thermal runaway), high energy density (exceeding 500Wh/kg), and long life, making them the key to solving the range anxiety of new energy vehicles and the load - carrying bottleneck of low - altitude aircraft.
According to industry data, the shipment volume of semi - solid - state batteries in 2026 is expected to exceed 15GWh, and they will be widely used in high - end electric vehicles and eVTOL aircraft; all - solid - state batteries will enter the intensive road - test and small - batch production stage. Leading enterprises such as CATL, BYD, and Qingtao Energy have built pilot or production lines. The breakthrough of solid - state batteries not only reconstructs the power battery landscape but also provides a lightweight and high - safety energy solution for the low - altitude economy and embodied intelligence, making it a typical "trend within a trend."
With the increasing proportion of distributed photovoltaic and wind power and the wide access of electric vehicle charging piles and energy storage facilities, the volatility of the power grid has increased sharply. In 2026, virtual power plants will move from concept pilots to large - scale commercial operations. Through the Internet of Things, big data, and AI algorithms, virtual power plants can aggregate distributed power sources, controllable loads (such as air conditioners and charging piles), and energy storage resources scattered throughout the city to form a "virtual" power plant that can be coordinated and controlled.
In the list of "Pilot Projects for Improving the Construction Capacity of New - Type Power Systems" released by the National Energy Administration, virtual power plant projects top the list. In the 2026 power market, virtual power plant operators can obtain substantial profits by participating in peak - valley arbitrage and the ancillary service market (frequency regulation, standby). For investors, load aggregators, energy management software developers, and hardware suppliers such as smart meters and smart gateways behind virtual power plants will experience a period of explosive performance.
In addition to lithium - ion and solid - state batteries, 2026 is also a year of explosive growth for long - duration energy storage technologies. To address the intermittency problem of new energy power generation, technologies such as all - vanadium redox flow batteries and compressed - air energy storage are widely used in large - scale grid - side energy storage projects due to their low cost, long life, and high safety. Especially for all - vanadium redox flow batteries, with the innovation of electrolyte purification technology, the system cost has dropped below $150/kWh, making it an ideal choice for long - duration energy storage of over 4 hours. This diversified energy storage technology route jointly builds a solid foundation for the new - type power system.
Low - Altitude Economy: The Initial Formation of a Three - Dimensional Transportation Network
After two years of policy preparation and technological accumulation, 2026 is a crucial year for China and the world's low - altitude economy to move from "demonstration operation" to "large - scale operation." eVTOL (electric vertical take - off and landing aircraft) and industrial - grade drones will completely change the pattern of urban logistics and short - distance transportation.
In 2026, drones will undertake a large amount of "last - mile" delivery in first - and second - tier cities. Logistics giants such as Meituan, SF Express, and JD.com have established dense low - altitude logistics networks, reducing the delivery time of fresh produce, medicine, and urgent items to minutes and with lower costs than traditional human delivery. Especially in areas with poor transportation, such as mountainous areas and islands, low - altitude logistics has become part of the infrastructure.
Although full popularization will take time, commercial manned trial operations will start on specific routes (such as from airports to city centers and inter - city commuting) in 2026. Products of enterprises such as EHang and XPeng Huitian have obtained airworthiness certifications and been put into commercial use. This not only drives the explosion of the aircraft manufacturing industrial chain (batteries, flight controls, composite materials) but also gives rise to a huge demand for "new low - altitude infrastructure," including vertical take - off and landing fields (Vertiport), low - altitude communication, navigation, and surveillance systems (integrated communication and sensing), and air traffic management systems. The low - altitude economy is becoming another calling card for China's high - end manufacturing after new energy vehicles.
Synthetic Biology and Precision Medicine
Driven by the intensifying aging population and the upgrading of health consumption, the biomedical trend in 2026 is shifting from traditional chemical pharmaceuticals to the in - depth integration of synthetic biology and precision medicine.
Regarded as the "third biotechnology revolution," synthetic biology entered the large - scale mass - production stage in 2026. Through gene editing and fermentation engineering, humans can "design" and produce materials, fuels, food, and drugs like building blocks. In the chemical industry, bio - based materials are gradually replacing petroleum - based products, significantly reducing carbon emissions; in the food industry, products such as artificial meat and functional sugar substitutes have entered the public's dining tables due to improved taste and reduced costs. The investment opportunities in this field lie in leading enterprises with core strain libraries, high - throughput screening platforms, and large - scale fermentation capabilities.
The application of AI technology in drug R & D has become mature in 2026. The R & D cycle of new drugs has been shortened from the traditional 10 years to 3 - 5 years, and the success rate has been significantly improved. At the same time, precision medical solutions based on multi - omics data have become the norm. Cancer treatment and rare - disease intervention will no longer follow a "one - size - fits - all" approach but will be customized according to patients' genetic profiles. The cost of cell therapy (such as CAR - T) has been significantly reduced due to the introduction of automated production lines, benefiting more patients. This trend will reshape the valuation logic of the pharmaceutical industry, and Biotech companies with exclusive data assets and AI algorithm platforms will be highly favored.
The economic landscape in 2026 is an interweaving of technological rationality and humanistic care. The above five trends - embodied intelligence, AI Agents, the low - altitude economy, synthetic biology, new - type energy storage, and virtual power plants - do not exist in isolation but empower and promote each other. AI is the brain, robots are the body, the low - altitude space is the passage, synthetic biology is the cornerstone, and new - type energy storage and virtual power plants are the continuous blood and nerve regulation systems.
For investors and entrepreneurs, the opportunities in 2026 no longer belong to blind followers but to long - termists who can deeply understand the underlying logic of technology, keenly perceive industrial pain points, and have strong execution capabilities. In this era of the full - scale explosion of "new - quality productivity," only by embracing change and delving deeply into the real economy can one ride the waves in the cycle's fluctuations and sail towards the blue ocean of value.
The future is here, and only by embracing change can one prevail. In 2026, let's witness how technology redefines the world.
This article is from "Science and Innovation Finance Club." Author: Yuan Fang. Published with the authorization of 36Kr.