As labour shortages continue to challenge the shipbuilding sector, South Korea’s HD Hyundai has doubled down on robotics innovation, announcing a strategic partnership with German cognitive robotics pioneer NEURA Robotics and sister firm HD Hyundai Robotics. The three-way collaboration aims to develop and test quadruped and humanoid robots specifically tailored for shipbuilding environments.

Under the agreement, HD Hyundai Samho will provide live shipyard test sites and validate robotic performance in real-world welding and assembly scenarios. HD Hyundai Robotics will contribute advanced path-learning data and assist in validating robotic performance, drawing on its experience in welding automation. NEURA Robotics, for its part, will deploy its cutting-edge 4NE1 humanoid platform and other cognitive robotic systems capable of navigating unstructured industrial environments.

“This partnership demonstrates the versatility of cognitive robots—even in one of the most demanding industries in the world,” said David Reger, NEURA’s founder and CEO. 

This latest move builds on HD Hyundai’s earlier venture into humanoid welding systems. In May, Splash reported on HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) and HD Hyundai Robotics forming a joint program with Houston-based Persona AI and manufacturing partner Vazil Company to develop rugged humanoid robots for precision welding in shipyard settings.

That initiative aims to deliver working humanoid prototypes by late 2026, with commercial deployment expected in 2027. Persona AI leads AI and robotics development, while Vazil supplies industrial-grade welding tools. HD KSOE will provide shipyard integration support and field data. Persona AI CEO Nicolaus Radford, formerly of Nauticus Robotics, noted that shipyards globally are experiencing attrition rates as high as 30% in skilled trades, making the deployment of humanoids an urgent necessity.

“The need for rugged, autonomous humanoid robots is more urgent than ever,” Radford said.

Both partnerships reflect HD Hyundai’s strategic push to build smart shipyards, where human workers and intelligent machines collaborate to offset chronic labour shortages while boosting safety and productivity.