Hyundai Motor Group announced Wednesday that its robotics subsidiary Boston Dynamics has joined the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), a private think tank that shapes U.S. robotics strategy and policy direction.
Launched in 2021, the SCSP is a bipartisan, nonprofit organization led by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. It studies the impact of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and semiconductors on national security, the economy and society, and advises on measures to strengthen America's mid- to long-term competitiveness.
The SCSP recently announced the launch of a "National Security Commission on Advanced Manufacturing Robotics," which will outline a roadmap for the United States to secure leadership in the robotics industry. The commission includes Boston Dynamics, Nvidia, AMD, General Motors (GM), the University of Michigan and MIT's Industrial Performance Center, among other companies and organizations researching physical AI. Boston Dynamics was invited to participate as a representative of physical AI-based robotics companies in the United States, with Vice President Brandon Schulman serving as a commissioner.
Boston Dynamics established itself as a leading global robotics company earlier this year after unveiling its humanoid robot "Atlas" at CES 2026, the world's largest IT and consumer electronics expo held in Las Vegas. The company is expected to share its robotics research and industrial field experience on the commission, presenting potential applications across manufacturing, logistics and infrastructure. Hyundai Motor (005380.KS) Group said the appointment is significant in that it gives the company influence over U.S. robotics regulation and support policy development.
Industry observers expect the commission to serve not merely as an advisory body but as a substantive policy-designing organization that will shape America's next-generation robotics strategy, given the influential figures from government, business and academia involved. The commission plans to focus on the following agenda items before publishing a report next year:
△ Building a national framework to link public-private investment and expand automation systems
△ Training and securing top talent in robotics
△ Improving the robotics supply chain and setting strategic goals
△ Strengthening the ecosystem to secure U.S. leadership in robotics
The United States has signaled strong commitment to fostering its robotics industry at the government level, as the sector emerges as a new battleground in the global competition for technological supremacy following AI.
The U.S. Department of Commerce on June 10 convened key officials from major companies including Boston Dynamics, Nvidia, OpenAI and Tesla to explore government-level support measures. Vice President Schulman, who attended the meeting, said, "We expect that through active government support for the robotics industry, a policy direction will be established in the near future."
