South Korean home appliance companies are expanding research and development investment to secure dominant technological competitiveness in existing businesses and discover next-generation growth engines. The push comes as firms seek new breakthroughs amid an unfavorable business environment marked by economic headwinds and intensifying competition.
According to regulatory filings on Monday, SK Intellix's consolidated R&D spending reached 28.1 billion won last year, up 66% from the previous year. R&D spending as a share of revenue rose from 2% to 3.3%.
Behind the increase is SK Intellix's next-generation growth driver: robotics. The company launched its wellness robotics brand "NAMUHX" last year. The product features autonomous navigation-based air purification and non-contact vital sign monitoring. The company changed its name from SK Magic to signal its ambition to evolve from a home environmental appliance maker into an artificial intelligence wellness platform.
SK Intellix plans to continue R&D investment this year to strengthen competitiveness in both existing and new businesses. While the company focused on launching NAMUHX last year, this year it will pursue technological advancement of NAMUHX while also concentrating on securing fundamental competitiveness in its home appliance rental business, including water purifiers, air purifiers and bidets.
Bodyfriend, an AI healthcare robotics company, also increased its investment last year. Bodyfriend's consolidated R&D spending reached 22.5 billion won last year, up 14% year-on-year. R&D spending as a percentage of revenue rose from 4.5% to 5.3%, exceeding the 5% threshold.
Bodyfriend has been introducing products with robotics technology since 2022. Rather than simple massage chairs, the technology moves the user's entire body including arms and legs to stretch muscles. Last year, the company launched its wearable AI healthcare robot "733," which applies AI technology to recommend massages based on the user's physical condition. Bodyfriend is expected to continue investing in advancing its healthcare robot capabilities at levels similar to previous years.
Coway (021240.KS), a life solutions company, spent 61.7 billion won on R&D last year on a consolidated basis, up 8% from 56.8 billion won the previous year. The spending represented 1.24% of total revenue.
Coway, known as the No. 1 player in the water purifier market, is generating results from its new sleep and healing care brand "BEREX." BEREX has been offering sleep-tech products combining massage, stretching and sleep data analysis technologies. BEREX recorded consolidated revenue of 719.9 billion won last year. The company plans to continue strengthening technological competitiveness through sustained R&D investment and pursuing premium-focused product innovation this year.
The backdrop to the home appliance industry's R&D push is intensifying competition. Existing products have high penetration rates and long replacement cycles, making market expansion difficult. At the same time, entry barriers are not high, and the number of companies entering the appliance business has grown, intensifying competition.
A veteran industry official said, "Even though the market is a red ocean, companies from other industries seem to enter the home appliance business because it generates revenue right away."
Another home appliance company official said, "We have maintained our R&D investment regardless of revenue as we expand product lineups and add new features," adding, "We will not cut R&D going forward."
