Hyundai Motor Group is set to secure a 100% ownership stake in its U.S.-based robotics subsidiary, Boston Dynamics. The South Korean automotive and technology conglomerate announced on July 16 that it is reviewing a plan to acquire the remaining 10% stake in the robotics firm currently held by Japan’s SoftBank. The transaction follows SoftBank’s execution of a put option (the right to sell common stock) for its remaining shares.

This final equity acquisition is expected to serve as a major catalyst for Hyundai Motor Group, significantly accelerating its long-term transition into a world-class robotics enterprise and boosting the speed of its broader business execution. "We will continue to strengthen our competitiveness in the robotics industry while driving strategic synergies across our affiliates," a Hyundai Motor Group representative stated.

Hyundai Motor Group established a major milestone in 2021 when it initially acquired an 80% controlling stake in Boston Dynamics from SoftBank for approximately $880 million. At that time, Hyundai Motor Chairman Euisun Chung personally took a 20% stake, while Hyundai Motor, Hyundai Mobis, and Hyundai Glovis split the remaining 60%. SoftBank retained a 20% stake, which was subsequently halved to 10% through previous corporate adjustments, leading up to the current full buyout. The move to complete ownership represents Chairman Chung's firm commitment to securing future growth engines beyond traditional automobile manufacturing.

Under the grand vision of "AI Robotics: Beyond the Lab and into Everyday Life," Hyundai Motor Group has laid out three core strategic objectives to leverage this acquisition: realizing manufacturing innovation, building a robust global robotics ecosystem, and expanding the future industrial landscape through the organic integration of robotics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and green energy solutions. The group plans to build its robotics competitiveness on the foundation of "Physical AI"—advanced artificial intelligence that interacts directly with the physical world—while strictly prioritizing safety and quality.

Boston Dynamics has continued to solidify its status as a pioneering force in the global robotics sector through relentless technological advancement. Most recently, the company’s next-generation humanoid robot, the all-electric "Atlas," captured global headlines on July 5 at the New Jersey Stadium in New York. During the halftime show of the highly anticipated World Cup Round of 16 match between Brazil and Norway, Atlas successfully performed a demonstration by delivering the official match ball directly to the referee, showcasing its flawless mobility and advanced navigation capabilities on the world stage.

This performance follows a series of breakthroughs for the upgraded, fully electric humanoid robot. In May, Boston Dynamics demonstrated Atlas’s industrial viability by releasing footage of the robot lifting and moving a 23-kilogram (approx. 50-pound) mini-refrigerator. The demonstration successfully verified the robot’s advanced whole-body control capabilities, balance, and precision strength, proving that it is ready to move away from laboratory settings and enter demanding industrial environments.

Hyundai Motor Group has already laid out a concrete roadmap to deploy these advanced humanoids into its manufacturing network. The group plans to officially introduce Atlas to the production lines of the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) in Georgia by 2028 to maximize production efficiency. Initially, the humanoid robots will be assigned to sequencing tasks for automotive component classification to establish and verify on-site operational reliability. Starting in 2030, the group intends to sequentially expand Atlas’s responsibilities to include highly complex, actual component assembly processes.

Industry analysts view this total acquisition as a strategic imperative for Hyundai. By operating Boston Dynamics as a wholly-owned subsidiary, Hyundai Motor Group eliminates complex cross-shareholding friction and gains full autonomy over the deployment of robotics intellectual property. This seamless integration will allow the group to directly fuse Boston Dynamics' world-leading mechanical and software capabilities with the software-defined vehicle (SDV) technologies currently being developed by Hyundai’s global software hub, 42dot.

Ultimately, this complete buyout marks the beginning of a new era where Hyundai Motor Group evolves from a traditional automaker into a comprehensive mobility and physical AI powerhouse, bridging the gap between advanced robotic mobility and automated heavy manufacturing.

[Copyright (c) Global Economic Times. All Rights Reserved.]