Samsung Electronics President and CEO Roh Tae-moon announces investment plans at a national briefing on advanced industry development in the Yeongnam region, held in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, on July 3, under the chairmanship of President Lee Jae Myung. [Yonhap]
Samsung Electronics President and CEO Roh Tae-moon announces investment plans at a national briefing on advanced industry development in the Yeongnam region, held in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, on July 3, under the chairmanship of President Lee Jae Myung. [Yonhap]

Samsung Electronics has launched a full-scale push into robotics, reorganizing previously scattered internal capabilities into a single unified structure. The move signals that Samsung has designated robotics — a field at the heart of physical AI — as a core vision business for the group, analysts say.

Samsung Electronics said Tuesday it would establish the RX (Robotics eXperience) Business Promotion Office, reporting directly to the CEO, to develop robotics as a key pillar of future growth and secure next-generation business competitiveness.

Roh Tae-moon, president and CEO and head of Samsung Electronics' DX (Device Experience) division, will lead the office. Executive Vice President Lee Dong-geon of the planning team has been named head of the robotics strategy team.

Samsung Electronics said the new organization would "consolidate the robot-related capabilities and technological competitiveness accumulated across the entire company, build an integrated execution framework spanning mid-to-long-term robot strategy, core technology development and commercialization, and begin generating business opportunities in earnest."

The RX Business Promotion Office will use the Seoul R&D Campus in Uimyeong-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, as its main base, consolidating the workplaces of robotics personnel and providing a collaborative environment, while continuing to invest in expanding the office and laboratory infrastructure needed for robot development and commercialization.

To strengthen data utilization — a core competitive advantage in robotics — Samsung Electronics will build a data factory at its Gumi plant to lay the groundwork for rapid field deployment of robots. The company will also pursue robot intelligence enhancement and advanced control capabilities through close collaboration with the research organization at the Seoul R&D Campus.

Samsung Electronics also plans to establish global research bases in the United States, China and Japan — countries where robotics technology is advancing rapidly — to leverage specialized local technologies and ecosystems and continuously strengthen its technological competitiveness by actively recruiting top talent.

Executive Vice President Lee Dong-geon, named head of the robotics strategy team at Samsung Electronics' RX Business Promotion Office. [Samsung Electronics]
Executive Vice President Lee Dong-geon, named head of the robotics strategy team at Samsung Electronics' RX Business Promotion Office. [Samsung Electronics]

Lee Dong-geon, appointed head of the robotics strategy team, previously led robot strategy at Hyundai Motor Group, including overseeing the operational direction of Boston Dynamics. Through this reorganization, he will take charge of the mid-to-long-term robotics business roadmap.

Kim Hyun-jin, a Seoul National University professor recognized as a world-leading scholar in intelligent autonomous robot systems and robot control, and Kim Eui-gyeom, an Ajou University professor who has produced globally top-tier research in robot hand and manipulation, are also set to join the office. Samsung Electronics said it plans to recruit additional top experts in each field going forward, building up its robotics commercialization capabilities from a mid-to-long-term perspective.

Samsung Electronics said it expects the RX Business Promotion Office, "operating under direct CEO oversight, to accelerate the pace of technology development through swift decision-making and strong execution, and to respond nimbly to market changes, creating differentiated robot experiences and business opportunities." The company added that it would "continue to drive innovation and strengthen technological competitiveness to create new customer value, actively identify future growth businesses and lead the global market."


gil@heraldcorp.com