LG Electronics (066570) will complete preparations for mass production of actuators — a core robot component — by year-end and ramp up the business starting next year.
LG Electronics CEO Ryu Jae-cheol attended the company's 24th annual general meeting of shareholders at LG Twin Towers in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, on March 23. "We will establish a mass production system within this year to independently design, manufacture, and supply 'Axium,' the actuator unveiled at CES 2026," he said. "Leveraging our industry-leading home appliance motor technology and annual production infrastructure capable of 45 million motors, we will build a lineup optimized for diverse customer needs and robot types."
Actuators are motor devices that enable robot joints to function. They represent a core technology accounting for more than 40% of a robot's total cost. Ryu's plan is to accelerate entry into the robot actuator business by leveraging motor technology and infrastructure already secured through the existing home appliance business.
Through this effort, LG Electronics will also commercialize "CLOi'd," the home robot unveiled at CES earlier this year, next year. "Next year, CLOi'd will leave the lab and be deployed at proof-of-concept sites," Ryu said. "Given that advances in physical AI and robot-related technologies are progressing at a pace exceeding expectations, we intend to make this year the inaugural year for full-scale robot business and execute detailed strategies with urgency."
LG Electronics is focusing on expanding four new growth businesses: robots, AI data center cooling solutions, smart factories, and AI Home. The company plans to accelerate its home robot business using vast living environment data collected through AI-powered appliances. Its strategy involves strengthening collaboration with global big tech companies and maximizing synergies with capabilities held by LG Group affiliates. For the AIDC cooling solutions business, LG Electronics will bolster its lineup to include liquid cooling — a next-generation technology — in addition to air-cooling solutions, seeking to become a core infrastructure partner for global big tech firms.
The smart factory business is being developed as a high-margin B2B solution that transforms production processes across various industries, based on world-class manufacturing intelligence capabilities. Within two years of establishing a dedicated business unit in 2024, the company has secured an order backlog of 500 billion won. AI Home will build an open ecosystem encompassing internal and external devices and services, powered by the company's world-leading home appliance competitiveness and extensive customer usage data. It will be pursued as a spatial solutions business combining services tailored to specific areas within the home.
LG Electronics also plans to focus on B2B and AI transformation (AX) to respond to global supply chain crises, including recent Middle East tensions. "We will further increase investment in growth businesses such as B2B, platforms, and D2X, aiming to grow their revenue and profits by 1.7 times and 2.4 times, respectively, by 2030 compared to last year," Ryu said. "We define AX as a core tool for redesigning work processes and will pursue a 30% improvement in work productivity within the next two to three years."
All agenda items — including approval of financial statements, amendments to the articles of incorporation, approval of treasury stock retirement, election of directors, appointment of audit committee members, and approval of director compensation limits — were passed as proposed. The dividend was set at 1,350 won per common share, a 35% increase from the previous year.