'AW 2026' Opens... Full-Scale Shift to AI and Humanoid-Centered AX Industry Begins

Participation from 500 Companies across 24 Countries, 2,300 Booths

Largest Scale Ever... Expected to Attract 80,000 Visitors

The 2026 Smart Factory & Automation World (AW 2026), Asia's premier manufacturing innovation exhibition and the largest ever held, kicked off on March 4.

AW 2026, which will be held across all halls of COEX for three days from March 4 to 6, is themed "The Power Driving Autonomization and Sustainability." The event marks a shift from previous smart factory and digital transformation (DX)-focused exhibitions to a full-scale showcase of artificial intelligence (AI) and humanoid-based autonomous manufacturing (AX) industries.

On the 4th, MobED from Hyundai Motor Group Robotics Lab, participating in AW 2026 held at COEX Grand Ballroom in Samseong-dong, Seoul, is demonstrating at the entrance of Hall D at the COEX exhibition center. MobED, which won the Best Innovation Award in Robotics at CES 2026, is being unveiled to the public for the first time in Korea through AW 2026. COEX

This event features participation from 500 companies across 24 countries, with a total of 2,300 booths and an expected attendance of approximately 80,000 visitors. The exhibition hall will present a comprehensive display of AI-based smart manufacturing and automation technologies, including manufacturing AI solutions, humanoids, industrial, collaborative, and logistics robots, digital twins, machine vision, and sensors.

The central themes of this year’s exhibition are "Physical AI" and "Humanoids." Generative AI and industrial AI are now extending beyond the domain of software and integrating with robots, equipment, and production lines, creating examples where AI is applied throughout the entire manufacturing operation. Visitors will be able to directly experience autonomous manufacturing models where factories make decisions and operate independently.

The newly established "AI Factory Special Hall" on the second floor, The Platz, will focus on demonstrations centered around AI-driven factory operation models that integrate vision AI, digital twins, and data-based process control solutions. Leading manufacturing AI companies such as POSCO DX, CJ OliveNetworks, and Doosan Digital Innovation are participating.

The "Smart Logistics Special Hall" on the third floor, Hall D, will spotlight advanced logistics automation technologies. Hyundai Motor Group Robotics Lab will unveil its advanced mobile robot platform "MobED"-winner of the Best Innovation Award in robotics at CES 2026-to the Korean public for the first time. Hyundai Glovis will demonstrate a physical AI-based logistics automation and integrated equipment control system, while Boston Dynamics will showcase its non-powered model of the humanoid robot "Atlas" to the general public in Korea for the first time.

Hyundai Movex will also present autonomous driving-based logistics automation solutions. T-Robotics will unveil its self-developed industrial humanoid for the first time at the exhibition. Leading global companies in industrial and collaborative robotics, such as Fanuc (Japan), Universal Robots (Denmark), and Geekplus (China), specializing in autonomous mobile robot (AMR)-based logistics automation, will also participate, presenting the latest technology trends in the manufacturing and logistics industries.

This year, more than 50 global humanoid and robotics companies will participate, and for the first time in Korea, the "China Humanoid Robot Conference" will be held. Major Chinese humanoid companies such as Unitree, Fourier, Leju, and Huawei will join to share strategies for technology commercialization and global industry trends. The conference will feature speakers including Zhou Bin, Co-Founder of Fourier; Ren Guangjie, Head of Solutions at Leju; and Zhang Chengyi, Solution Manager at Unitree.

Huawei will be represented by its Chief AI Architect for Asia Pacific, who will visit Korea to speak at the event. Xin Xingguan, Director of the China Capital Market Research Institute, will serve as moderator and lead a panel discussion with the visiting companies.

There will also be demonstrations of products from Chinese humanoid companies at the venue. Attendees can experience the latest in global humanoid technology on-site through products such as the X2 and G2 from Agibot, the G1 from Unitree, and the fourth-generation Kuabo Pro from Leju. In addition, over 200 specialized conference sessions will take place during the exhibition period, including the 2026 Industrial Intelligence Conference and the AI Autonomous Manufacturing Innovation Forum. The Korea International Trade Association will host a 1:1 export consultation meeting for participating companies and invited buyers, bringing together 24 buyers from eight countries to support overseas market entry.

Jang Sanghyun, CEO of COEX, stated, "AW 2026 will serve as a platform that presents the direction of the 'Physical AI Era,' where AI goes beyond software to merge with physical industrial sites. As a global industrial platform leading the AX transformation and the spread of autonomous manufacturing, COEX will continue to strengthen its competitive edge in exhibitions."

This exhibition is co-hosted by COEX, Korea Association of Smart Factory Industry & AI, Smart Manufacturing Innovation Promotion Group, Korea Machine Vision Industry Association, Cheomdan, and Korea International Trade Association.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.