[Edaily Reporter Park Min-woong ] HD Hyundai will unveil its self-developed humanoid robot for the first time next week. This is part of a strategy to break away from its traditional manufacturing roots—centered on shipbuilding—and transform into a high-tech company. In particular, the group’s future business initiatives are gaining momentum as the “technological leapfrog” strategy emphasized by HD Hyundai Chairman Jeong Ki-sun has led to tangible results in robot development.

According to industry sources on the 13th, HD Hyundai Robotics, HD Hyundai’s robotics subsidiary, plans to unveil a prototype of its humanoid robot to the public for the first time and conduct a demonstration at the “2026 Future Innovation Technology Expo (FIX 2026),” taking place from the 21st to the 24th at EXCO in Daegu. FIX is a large-scale innovation technology exhibition organized by Daegu Metropolitan City to showcase future emerging industries—such as future mobility, robotics, and AI—all in one place.

The product HD Hyundai is unveiling is not a collaboration with U.S.-based Persona AI or Germany’s Neura Robotics, but rather a product developed in-house. The company plans to deploy it proactively for dangerous tasks within shipyards, such as welding, and expand its scope of operations in the future. The prototype is currently in the final stages of development, and the company intends to commercialize it following field testing and other validation processes.

This unveiling of the humanoid robot is noteworthy as it represents a concrete outcome of the “ultra-competitive technology” strategy that Chairman Chung has long emphasized. Chairman Chung has repeatedly cautioned against complacency regarding the company’s existing technological edge, urging innovation in light of Chinese shipbuilders’ improving technical capabilities and growing price competitiveness.