Doosan Robotics to expand cobot business in Europe

Doosan Robotics Inc., the robot-developing unit of South Korea’s Doosan Group, will supply collaborative robots to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in the Netherlands, a move expected to pave the way for the fast advance of the Korean company’s cobots into Europe.

Doosan Robotics on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding with Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and Danish company Cobot Lift Aps, the developer of lifting solutions for collaborative robots, to supply its airport baggage-handling cobots to Schiphol Airport.

The agreement comes after Doosan Robotics has successfully completed tests for the capability of its automated airport baggage handling system at the gateway to Amsterdam.

Following the MOU, the Korean robotics company plans to expand its cobot business across Europe, targeting airports and logistics centers.

“The company plans to set up an entity in Germany next year to expand its business in Europe,” said Park In-won, co-chief executive officer of Doosan Robotics.

Collaborative robots, or cobots, are designed to work directly with humans in shared space or in close proximity.

Doosan Robotics jointly developed a new automatic baggage-handling system with Cobot Lift, applying the Danish company’s technology to its H-Series cobot. It boasts up to a 70-kilogram payload, according to the company.

It already supplied 20 cobots to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and will supply more to the airport in phases.

Earlier this month, the Doosan Group arm unveiled a plan to introduce more collaborative robots to a variety of other areas including the logistics sector.

It has a wide range of cobot solutions that can be used at feeding facilities, as well as for laparoscopic surgery assistance, airport baggage handling, laser welding and bin picking, or picking up parts from a container.

Doosan Robotics plans to double the annual production capacity to about 4,000 units at its factory in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province from the current 2,200 robots.

It expects a turnaround next year and aims to post an annual operating profit of 213.3 billion won ($164.4 million) on sales of 766.3 billion won by 2030.

Its stock has been flying since it debuted on the Korean stock market in early October on expectations of growing demand for cobots worldwide.

The global collaborative robot market is forecast to grow by 35% annually until 2030, according to industry data.

Write to Hyung-Kyu Kim at khk@hankyung.com

Sookyung Seo edited this article.