---
title: "In the face of the global technology competition, Europe, which has missed the AI opportunity, still has a card to play: humanoid robots"
type: "News"
locale: "en"
url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/281332937.md"
description: "Europe started late in the field of artificial intelligence, but still remains competitive in the humanoid robot sector. Sweden's Hexagon AB is testing its new humanoid robot, while Germany's Neura Robotics GmbH has raised approximately 1 billion euros, with a valuation of 4 billion euros. Hexagon expects to produce thousands of Aeon robots by 2030 and plans to achieve commercialization by 2026. This move reflects the diversified development capabilities of European machinery manufacturers in responding to market changes"
datetime: "2026-04-01T08:55:03.000Z"
locales:
  - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/281332937.md)
  - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/281332937.md)
  - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/281332937.md)
---

> Supported Languages: [简体中文](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/281332937.md) | [繁體中文](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/281332937.md)


# In the face of the global technology competition, Europe, which has missed the AI opportunity, still has a card to play: humanoid robots

According to the Zhitong Finance APP, Europe started late in the field of artificial intelligence and is also lagging behind China and the United States in electric vehicles. However, Europe still maintains competitiveness in the field of humanoid robots.

Sweden's Hexagon AB has recently manufactured a humanoid robot, which is currently being tested with industrial clients including the BMW Group. Meanwhile, Germany's Neura Robotics GmbH has just raised approximately €1 billion (USD 1.2 billion) from investors including Amazon (AMZN.US) and Qualcomm (QCOM.US), bringing the startup's valuation to about €4 billion. Local automotive suppliers Schaeffler and Bosch are also betting on capturing emerging market shares led by Tesla (TSLA.US) and Hyundai Motor Company.

Arnaud Robert, head of Hexagon's robotics division, stated that the number of Aeon robots produced by the company will surge from the current dozens to "thousands" by 2030. The precision measurement group listed in Stockholm said, "When this turning point arrives, the speed of scale expansion will be very fast."

Hexagon's valuation has reached SEK 243 billion (approximately USD 25.8 billion), and its Aeon robots are expected to achieve full commercialization by 2026, reaching this milestone in just about three years. This highlights the diversified development capabilities of European mechanical component manufacturers, who are striving to cope with the reduction in orders from automakers. Hexagon's entry into the humanoid robot field is aided by its collaboration with Boston Dynamics Inc., which provides high-precision scanners and sensors for its Spot robots.

The surge in bipedal robots aimed at reducing labor costs and addressing the aging population reached new heights at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this January. South Korea's Hyundai Motor showcased its Atlas model at the exhibition, impressively boosting Hyundai's stock price by 80% in the following two weeks.

Hyundai's foray into the humanoid robot field began in 2021 when it acquired Boston Dynamics. As one of the pioneers in this field, the American company gained fame on the internet with videos of its robots opening doors or doing backflips. Hyundai invested billions of dollars to build this new division and poached top talent, ultimately showcasing its achievements at CES.

For automakers and their suppliers, humanoid robots are not a huge leap, as they share many of the same components with electric vehicles. They use batteries and motors and are guided by sensors and artificial intelligence software. However, most importantly, they are expected to bring growth to the automotive industry, which is currently troubled by tariffs and weak demand. A group of analysts at Barclays Bank noted in a report titled "The Decade of Robotics" released in February that the AI-driven robotics and autonomous machines market is expected to expand to a trillion-dollar scale by 2035 ![b37d08a0fa6393029f9489237ed6bb7d.png](https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://img.zhitongcaijing.com/image/20260401/1775032012239665.png?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg)

Indeed, creating fully functional humanoid robots remains a challenge. They perform well in controlled, confined environments but still struggle when faced with unpredictable events, unknown objects, or changes in lighting—and maintaining balance on two feet is even more difficult. Danica Kragic, a robotics professor at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm, stated that while traditional production lines can adapt to humanoid robots without modification, their maintenance and operational costs remain high. She said, "Mass deployment will still take five to ten years. For a while, we will see many robot graveyards."

However, this has not deterred industrial suppliers from pursuing this new technology. Bosch, the world's largest automotive parts manufacturer, and its German counterpart Schaeffler invested in the latest funding round of Neura in March. This startup produces more traditionally designed robotic arms and has upgraded them with features like voice recognition. Additionally, the company manufactures the 4NE1 humanoid robot, which is said to be capable of lifting objects weighing up to 100 kilograms (220 pounds) and can work safely alongside humans.

Schaeffler CEO Klaus Rosenfeld stated, "For us, humanoid robots are one of the main new growth areas." He also added that the company plans to have new business revenues, including humanoid robots, account for 10% of its total revenue by 2035. The clutch system and ball bearing manufacturer is working on supplying parts for humanoid robots and deploying these robots in its factories, having already launched a pilot project with Hexagon's Aeon robots.

Rosenfeld said, "The core technologies—how to manufacture lasers, small gearboxes, or how to integrate motors—these are all things we are already capable of."

Hexagon has about 10 simulation robots among its customer pilots, including pilots from Swiss aircraft manufacturer Pilatus Aircraft Ltd., with another 25 undergoing internal testing. At BMW's automotive plant in Leipzig, Germany, Aeon robots are being trained to assemble high-voltage batteries and transport parts between production processes, with plans to be in production use by the end of the year. Additionally, BMW is testing humanoid robots from Figure AI, a company invested in by Nvidia, at its plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Robert said, "We feel we are in direct competition with American companies like Tesla, Figure AI, and Boston Dynamics under Hyundai."

However, the industry may be developing fastest in China, as the Chinese government has prioritized embodied artificial intelligence as a strategic focus. Robert noted that China currently has about 150 humanoid robot companies, most of which are still focused on consumer applications, with only a few targeting industrial applications These technologies are rapidly moving towards large-scale application. Xiaomi's humanoid robot has begun trial operations in its factory, aiming for large-scale deployment within five years. Shenzhen-based UBTECH Robotics is another manufacturer dedicated to bringing robots into the industrial sector.

As competition in the humanoid robot field is expected to show regional differentiation, suppliers like Schaeffler are maintaining an open mindset. In addition to investing in the German company Neura, Schaeffler has signed cooperation agreements with several companies, including China's Leka Robotics and the United States' Agility Robotics.

Rosenfeld said, "For me, the question is not whether production will gradually increase, but what the curve of that production increase will look like."

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