MOU signed for smart-building logistics automation

AMRs to handle unattended mail and package delivery

Full automation from receiving and sorting to desk-side delivery

Proof-of-concept trials planned for next year

Han Kyu-heon, head of Hyundai Glovis's Future Innovation Technology Center (right), and Jo Hye-jeong, head of Samsung C&T's DxP division, pose for a photo after signing an MOU for the joint development of smart-building logistics automation and robot delivery services at Hyundai Glovis's headquarters in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday. [Hyundai Glovis]
Han Kyu-heon, head of Hyundai Glovis's Future Innovation Technology Center (right), and Jo Hye-jeong, head of Samsung C&T's DxP division, pose for a photo after signing an MOU for the joint development of smart-building logistics automation and robot delivery services at Hyundai Glovis's headquarters in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday. [Hyundai Glovis]

Hyundai Glovis and Samsung C&T are joining forces to automate in-building mail and package delivery using robots that receive, sort and carry items directly to employees' desks. The two companies plan to select a real building for a proof-of-concept trial next year to assess the technology's commercial viability.

Hyundai Glovis announced Thursday that it signed a memorandum of understanding with Samsung C&T's construction division at its headquarters in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday for the joint development of smart-building logistics automation and robot delivery services. Han Kyu-heon, head of Hyundai Glovis's Future Innovation Technology Center, and Jo Hye-jeong, head of Samsung C&T's DxP division, attended the signing ceremony along with other officials from both companies.

The core of the initiative is replacing the human labor involved in moving mail and packages inside a building with autonomous mobile robots, or AMRs.

Under the envisioned system, when items arrive at a below-ground mail room or parcel locker, the system logs, stores and sorts them. Robots then load the items, ride elevators to the appropriate floor and deliver them to the relevant employee's workspace.

The goal goes beyond simply moving robots around a building. The two companies aim to connect the entire internal logistics chain — from receiving and storage through sorting, transport and final delivery — into a single integrated system. They also plan to develop AI- and robotics-based tools to manage delivery volumes and optimize routing.

The two companies will divide responsibilities. Hyundai Glovis will develop the logistics automation solution covering item collection, storage and transport, while Samsung C&T will analyze the structural and facility characteristics of target buildings and design the operating environment and services needed for robots to function in real-world settings.

Next year, the companies will select a site for a proof-of-concept trial. Based on the results, they will refine how robots, elevators and logistics management systems communicate with one another, and develop concrete operating and commercialization models.

"Smart buildings in the AI era are expected to evolve toward providing user-facing services that incorporate fast-advancing robot technology," Jo said. "We will accelerate the commercialization of differentiated robot services that enhance the value of building spaces in the coming physical AI era by combining Hyundai Glovis's logistics automation technology with Samsung C&T's robot operating solutions."

Han said Hyundai Glovis would "develop innovative services optimized for smart-building environments, drawing on our logistics automation technology and operational expertise," adding that the partnership with Samsung C&T would "set a new standard for logistics services in the future office market."

Hyundai Glovis has been expanding beyond its traditional transportation-focused business into logistics automation solutions. The company acquired logistics automation specialist Altiol in 2023 and showcased an integrated logistics system linking automated equipment, robots and data at the Smart Factory and Automation World 2026 exhibition held this year.


kwater@heraldcorp.com