MUNICH The South Korean company Hyundai Robotics is setting up its first continental European branch in Ismaning, thus making Bavaria the basis for further expansion in Europe. Minister of Economic Affairs Hubert Aiwanger welcomes the establishment: “I am delighted that we have succeeded in locating this innovative company from South Korea here in Bavaria during these economically difficult times. This is a great ray of hope in times of company closures and migration tendencies. The Hyundai Robotics branch affirms Bavaria’s excellent reputation as an international high-tech location. Tech companies investing in Bavaria will find a wealth of expertise and a strong network of successful hidden champions, start-ups and research institutions. This creates new synergies that will also help our companies to progress even further.”
 
The Korean manufacturer of industrial robots wants to acquire new European customers with its location near Munich, but also consolidate its successful cooperation with Korean car manufacturers in Eastern Europe.
 
Richard Lee, Vice President and Head of the European Office, explains the choice of location as follows: “Munich is the Silicon Valley of Germany. That’s the reason why Hyundai Robotics has settled in the Munich area.” Hyundai Robotics appreciates Bavaria’s strong innovation landscape as well as its logistically advantageous location in the heart of Europe. Short transport routes to existing customers in the Czech Republic and Slovakia are just as important as the fast accessibility to southern European industrial countries such as France, Italy and Spain. In the end, it was not least the high demand for industrial robots in Germany that was decisive for the commitment to Bavaria and to Ismaning. Invest in Bavaria, the business promotion agency for the State of Bavaria, provided significant support for the establishment of Hyundai Robotics in Bavaria.
 
The new Hyundai Robotics European office is taking over a number of tasks. The supply chain and service for Korean car manufacturers in Eastern Europe will be managed from Ismaning in the future. In an adjacent showroom, customers are presented with a selection of industrial robots. Employees and customers are trained in the use of the industrial robots in an integrated training centre.
 
Hyundai Robotics is part of the Korean Hyundai Heavy Industries Group, which was founded in 1972 by Chung Ju-yung, the founder of the Hyundai Motor Company. The listed group is the largest shipbuilder in the world today with more than 25,000 employees. Hyundai Robotics started with the production of welding robots in 1984. The company now manufactures all types of industrial robots, with more than 50,000 produced in 2018. In the same year, the company entered into a strategic partnership with Augsburg-based KUKA AG. The company focuses in particular on smart, connected production using innovative industrial robots.