Sonid announced on the 25th that the technical team from PIAP, a Polish robotics partner of its subsidiary Defense Korea, visited Korea. During their stay, the two companies discussed technical cooperation plans and carried out maintenance work on the explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) robot 'PIAP GRYF' delivered to the Republic of Korea Navy and Marine Corps.
Located in Warsaw, the capital of Poland, PIAP is a state-owned industrial automation research institute that developed military robots such as the 'PIAP GRYF' and 'PIAP FENIX'. Defense Korea is responsible for the domestic maintenance of the EOD robots developed by PIAP, and Sonid and PIAP have jointly developed explosive detection and mine clearance robots.
The company stated, "Poland, as the closest country to Ukraine, is expected to serve as a logistics hub for reconstruction projects, and Korean companies that have maintained close cooperation with Poland can receive tangible benefits." They added, "To actively enter the reconstruction business, we are currently negotiating the visit of executives from the Polish robotics partner and government officials to Korea in March."
Defense Korea and PIAP have been conducting business since signing a technical agreement in 2021 and an exclusive domestic partnership contract in 2023. Sonid signed a memorandum of understanding with PIAP in 2023 for joint development of artificial intelligence (AI) robots. Combining PIAP's robotics technology with Sonid's sensor technology, development of autonomous mission-capable reconstruction robots is underway. The company explained that they will actively engage in the EOD robot business, which is expected to have high demand in the early stages of Ukraine's reconstruction, leveraging the technological capabilities of both companies and the geographical advantage for rapid response. The offset trade obligations between Korea and Poland are also expected to positively influence the business cooperation between the two companies.
A Sonid official emphasized, "Based on the joint development history of EOD robots with PIAP, we expect Sonid's explosive and mine detection equipment to be installed on robots needed for future reconstruction projects," adding, "Since mine and explosive detection and removal are the highest priorities for reconstruction, demand for the equipment jointly developed by the two companies is expected to be high."
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