STMicroelectronics will deploy humanoid robots to modernize its older chip manufacturing plants. The company announced the initiative at a semiconductor conference in Poland.
Plans include deploying over 100 humanoid robots in the coming years. These machines will take over repetitive and physically demanding tasks.
The strategy aims to prevent plant closures caused by intense competition from automated Chinese factories. STMicro will retrain displaced workers for higher-skilled roles to fill existing labor shortages.
This modernization avoids the high costs of constructing new facilities. Aging manufacturing sites are frequently ineligible for European Union subsidies.