Samsung C&T and Hyundai Construction Establish Construction Robot Ecosystem to Address Aging Population and Safety

Samsung C&T Construction Division and Hyundai Engineering & Construction announced on the 11th that they signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the establishment of an "Eco-System in the Construction Robot Field and Joint Research and Development" at Hyundai Engineering & Construction headquarters in Jongno-gu, Seoul.

So Byung-sik, Head of ENG at Samsung C&T (left), and Park Gu-yong, Director of Technology Research Institute at Hyundai Engineering & Construction, are posing for a commemorative photo after signing a business agreement on the 11th for "Establishing an Eco-System in the Construction Robot Field and Joint Research and Development." / Photo by Samsung C&T

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The signing ceremony was held with the attendance of So Byung-sik, Head of Samsung C&T ENG (Vice President), Park Gu-yong, Head of Hyundai Engineering & Construction Technology Research Institute (Executive Director), and others. Both companies agreed to closely cooperate to enhance the technological competitiveness of construction robots and expand the industrial network.

First, they will jointly promote demonstration projects to increase the usability of robots by applying robots developed so far mutually on each other's sites. They will also operate a continuous research and development (R&D) cooperation system to minimize redundant investments in similar technologies during the development of robots and Internet of Things (IoT) applications, focusing their capabilities on safety-specialized robot research, a shared interest.

They will also establish an alliance in the construction robot field to continuously expand the R&D commercialization network. Furthermore, they will actively promote participation from related organizations such as the construction industry and robot developers, holding technical seminars and conferences to enhance synergy across industries.

Earlier, both companies selected the "Construction Robotics" field as a growth engine business to address overall construction industry issues such as aging on-site personnel and a decrease in technical staff.

Samsung C&T established the Construction Robotics Team last year and is focusing on research and development in the construction robot field to ensure safety at construction sites and improve quality and productivity. They have developed and applied various construction robots such as access floor (raised floor) installation, anchor construction, and drilling robots. Their construction anchor robot also won the Minister’s Award at the 2022 Smart Construction Challenge.

Hyundai Engineering & Construction has developed autonomous patrol robots, unmanned construction robots, and integrated robot control systems since establishing a specialized organization in 2020. They are also promoting unmanned safety management by deploying the AI safety robot "Spot" on sites. Their cutting-edge patrol and work robot technologies were honored with the Minister’s Award at the 2021 Smart Construction Challenge.

A Samsung C&T official said, "We hope this agreement will lead to active participation from related industries and institutions such as other construction companies, robot manufacturers, and system integrators (SI)." He added, "We will solidify the ecosystem in the construction robot field and contribute to significantly improving on-site productivity."

A Hyundai Engineering & Construction official stated, "We will build a high-quality construction robot ecosystem and solve current issues such as small-lot multi-product production, high development costs, and technical limitations through the influx of other industrial sectors." He added, "We will prove the technological capability and competitiveness of Korean construction robots and take the lead in changing the paradigm of the global construction industry."

Meanwhile, Samsung C&T and Hyundai Engineering & Construction are enhancing the status of Korean construction by jointly carrying out global projects such as the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and NEOM City in Saudi Arabia.

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