Recommendations for Enhancing the Global Competitiveness of South Korea's Robotics Industry
Institute for Future Strategy Issue Brief, February 2025 Vol. 27
“Recommendations for Strengthening the Competitiveness of Korea’s Robotics Industry”
This issue brief provides an in-depth analysis of the challenges facing Korea’s robotics industry in the midst of global industrial shifts, and presents strategies for enhancing its competitiveness. The robotics industry is a national strategic sector with strong forward and backward linkages, and major advanced economies are fostering it as a key driver of future growth.
Korea holds the world’s highest manufacturing robot density, which is a significant strength. However, its global competitiveness remains constrained by high dependence on foreign suppliers for core components, low adoption rates of service robots, and insufficient competitiveness in AI-powered robotics technologies.
To address these challenges, the brief proposes specific measures to strengthen Korea’s robotics industry competitiveness, including:
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Localisation of core components,
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Targeting niche markets in the global robotics sector, and
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Enhancing support systems for SMEs and startups.
Keywords
Robotics industry, global competitiveness, manufacturing robots, core components, service robots, AI robots
