Hyundai Motor Group Establishes Dedicated Unit to Advance Software-Defined Factory Strategy and Boost Humanoid Robot Deployment

Hyundai Motor Group has recently established a dedicated division to advance its "Software-Defined Factory" (SDF) strategy while simultaneously strengthening its capabilities in robot component procurement. The group has appointed Alpesh Patel, Chief Innovation Officer at its Singapore Innovation Center, to lead the newly created role overseeing the SDF initiative. SDF refers to a factory model where production, quality, and logistics operations are controlled and managed through artificial intelligence and software. This organizational restructuring marks the group’s initial step toward rolling out the SDF strategy across its global manufacturing network. As part of this broader plan, Hyundai Motor Group aims to build facilities capable of producing 30,000 humanoid robots annually by 2028 and deploy a total of 25,000 robots across manufacturing plants operated by Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation. The Atlas humanoid robot, developed by the group’s U.S.-based subsidiary Boston Dynamics, is expected to make its debut at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in 2026. Starting in 2028, Atlas robots will begin performing parts kitting tasks at the Metaplant America facility in Georgia, USA, with their responsibilities expanding to include parts assembly from 2030 onward. Robot deployment will gradually extend to new plants in India and South Korea in the future. Additionally, the group has set up a new office focused exclusively on robot component procurement, led by Soh Hyun-seong, former head of strategic planning at Beijing Hyundai. This move is designed to support Boston Dynamics’ upcoming mass production phase for the Atlas humanoid robot and enhance both procurement capabilities and cost competitiveness. Previously, Boston Dynamics had already approached Hyundai Mobis—the group’s auto parts subsidiary—with a request to collaborate on the large-scale production of six critical next-generation components for the Atlas humanoid robot.