Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong visited the company's robotics R&D base, which is seen as a core future growth engine, a move widely interpreted as positioning the company's robotics business as Samsung Electronics' next major growth track.
Lee visited the Robot Experience (RX) Business Promotion Office at the Seoul R&D Campus in Umyeon-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 27th, inspecting various robots under development by Samsung and the progress of bringing self-developed technology to market, while also checking on preparations for the humanoid robot technology that Samsung plans to unveil at CES 2027 in January next year.
The RX Business Promotion Office is a new organization established by Samsung Electronics in July this year, aimed at consolidating robotics R&D capabilities and technological competitiveness. It serves as a "robotics control tower" that oversees core technology development, formulates mid-to-long-term robotics strategies, and drives commercialization.
To accelerate decision-making efficiency, the organization adopts a structure that reports directly to the CEO, with Samsung Electronics President (Head of the DX Division) Roh Tae-moon concurrently serving as head of the RX Business Promotion Office.
This marks Lee's first on-site visit to oversee the robotics business since the RX Business Promotion Office was established, giving the visit special significance. Analysts believe the move is intended to emphasize the importance of the robotics business and to motivate technological R&D.
Samsung has already selected robotics as a new growth driver. The company plans to deploy robots within semiconductor, smartphone, and home appliance factories to maximize production efficiency, while setting a goal of converting all domestic and overseas factories into AI autonomous factories by 2030.
Samsung also plans to sell robotics technology that has been proven mature in manufacturing scenarios to external customers. As robot applications increase across various industries, Physical AI is expected to see rapid growth, and Samsung intends to use this as an opportunity to gradually expand its robotics market presence.
With Lee's visit to the RX Business Promotion Office, Samsung's robotics business is expected to accelerate, with the pace of core technology development and performance verification for next-generation humanoid robot commercialization likely to speed up.
Collaboration among affiliated subsidiaries within the group will also formally take shape: the goal is to integrate Samsung SDI's all-solid-state batteries under development for humanoid robots, Samsung Electro-Mechanics' camera and sensor technology, the AI chips of Samsung Electronics' Device Solutions (DS) Division, and Samsung Display's OLED panel technology to launch multiple robot products.
The market is also watching whether Samsung will pursue mergers and acquisitions and investments to advance its robotics technology. Industry proposals under consideration include investing in overseas companies with expertise in robotic hands, walking, and full-body control.
A major challenge in humanoid robot commercialization lies in precision manipulation and control technology. To achieve breakthroughs, cooperation with global companies that possess foundational original technology is essential.
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