HD Hyundai Robotics, Doosan Robotics gain ground in smart factory push

HD Hyundai Robotics robots deployed at Hyundai Motor, Kia plants

Doosan Robotics signs mid-to-large-scale contract with Hyundai Motor

Robot adoption accelerating as companies pursue digital transformation

Both firms racing to strengthen product competitiveness

HD Hyundai Robotics robots operate on a production line at Kia's Hwaseong factory. [HD Hyundai Robotics LinkedIn]

HD Hyundai Robotics and Doosan Robotics are reaping the benefits of a broader corporate push toward digital transformation. Customers including Hyundai Motor and Kia are actively deploying robots from both companies as they build out smart factory operations. To secure additional orders, the two firms are expanding their product lineups and investing in AI research and development.

HD Hyundai Robotics recently released footage showing its industrial robots in action at Kia's Hwaseong factory, according to industry sources Saturday. The video showed the company's robots assembling automotive components and tires.

HD Hyundai Robotics supplied about 300 industrial robots to Kia last year. After a stabilization period on Kia's production lines, the robots entered full operation this year.

HD Hyundai Robotics also delivered around 300 industrial robots to Hyundai Motor last year. Those units have been installed at Beijing Hyundai's Plant 4. The company has maintained an ongoing supply relationship with Hyundai Motor and Kia, having also provided robots in 2023.

HD Hyundai Robotics has been landing a string of contracts at home and abroad. As a result, its order backlog stood at $82.74 million as of end-June, more than 3.5 times the $23.5 million recorded at end-March.

Doosan Robotics, South Korea's top collaborative robot maker, is also on an order-winning streak. The company signed a mid-to-large-scale contract with Hyundai Motor this year and has been supplying products on an ongoing basis. In March, it signed an MOU with automotive parts group Gwangjin Group to supply more than 100 manufacturing robot solutions.

Employees conduct a test run of collaborative robots at Doosan Robotics' production factory in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. [Doosan Robotics]

The steady flow of orders is translating into improved earnings for both companies. HD Hyundai Robotics posted an operating profit of 1 billion won in the second quarter of this year, swinging to a profit from a loss in the same period last year. Over the same period, Doosan Robotics narrowed its operating loss by 7.9 percent, from 15.7 billion won to 14.4 billion won, while sales nearly quadrupled to 17.7 billion won.

The order momentum shows no sign of slowing. Companies are increasingly turning to robots to cut labor costs and boost production efficiency. Market research firm Fortune Business Insights projects the global industrial robot market will grow from $24.43 billion this year at an average annual rate of 15.5 percent, reaching $77.36 billion by 2034.

HD Hyundai Robotics is expanding its product lineup to capture more orders. As part of that effort, it launched three new collaborative robot models in July — its first new collaborative robot releases in six years. One of the new models, the HDC 50-17, can handle a payload of up to 50 kilograms.

The company is also pursuing physical AI research. At an earnings conference call in February, HD Hyundai said HD Hyundai Robotics had committed significant research and development spending to prepare for physical AI.

Doosan Robotics is focused on commercializing intelligent robot solutions — collaborative robots integrated with software and AI capabilities. The company plans to unveil an intelligent robot solution based on an agentic robot operating system next year, and intends to release an industrial humanoid robot in 2028. To demonstrate progress in its new business areas, Doosan is collaborating with Nvidia.

yeongdai@heraldcorp.com