Published Tue, Jul 21, 2026 · 02:50 PM
[SEOUL] Samsung Electronics said on Tuesday (Jul 21) that it will set up a robotics division that reports directly to the chief executive, to accelerate development and commercialisation in the field and establish robotics as a growth engine.
The South Korean conglomerate said the RX or Robotics eXperience division will oversee its mid-to-long-term robotics strategy, core technology development and business execution, while expanding research capabilities at home and overseas.
Executive vice-president Lee Dong-kun will head the robotics strategy team, Samsung said in a statement.
Lee previously led robotics strategy at Hyundai Motor Group, including the direction of Boston Dynamics, the US robot developer acquired by the automaker.
Samsung also said it plans to establish robotics research hubs in the US, China and Japan, where robotics technology is advancing rapidly, to strengthen competitiveness by leveraging local ecosystems and expertise.
The operations of the hubs will be consolidated under a newly-created RX Business Office, which reports directly to the co-chief executive officer of the company, Roh Tae-moon.
The RX Business Office will be based primarily at Samsung’s Seoul research and development campus in Umyeon.
Samsung added that it will continue investing to expand its robotics business infrastructure.
Robotics push
The development builds on a broader robotics push. During its January earnings conference call, Samsung said it aimed to achieve “tangible” results in its humanoid robotics business in the year 2026.
In April, Samsung said it would consider investment and acquisitions where necessary to accelerate development and commercialisation in robotics, while partnering local companies for technology development.
Samsung also said that advances in technology such as physical artificial intelligence was making robotics businesses increasingly viable.
It said it planned to develop humanoid robots to improve both productivity and user experience, initially for deployment at manufacturing sites, before expanding into home and retail sectors.
The move also underscores how robotics has become a strategic priority for the world’s biggest technology and industrial companies, as advances in AI make machines more capable of performing increasingly complex tasks.
Companies from Tesla and Alphabet to Hyundai are pouring billions of dollars into humanoid robots and factory automation, betting that the technology will help offset labour shortages and unlock new sources of growth beyond smartphones, chips and electric vehicles.
In addition, Samsung has recruited two leading professors recognised for their achievements in the field of robotics – Hyoun Jin-kim from Seoul National University and Kim Ui-kyum from Ajou University.
Analysts viewed the move as a precursor to more collaboration between South Korea’s two large companies.
“With a former Boston Dynamics executive appointed to a key robotics role at Samsung Electronics, collaboration between Hyundai Motor Group and Samsung Group in the field of robotics is very likely to expand, and connections between the two appear to be growing through various channels,” Korea Investment & Securities analysts including Changho Kim said. REUTERS, BLOOMBERG
