Chinese investment helps Serbia develop humanoid robotics

Chinese investment is helping Serbia expand beyond traditional manufacturing into humanoid robotics and advanced battery technology, potentially creating a new high-tech production chain linking Chinese technology with Serbian industrial capacity.

At Minth Group's industrial complex in Sabac, where automotive components have long been produced, humanoid robots are now being assembled. Mass production began in August after a first-phase investment of roughly $23 million.

The facility is Minth's first mass-production base for embodied robots in Europe. The robots are assembled, integrated and tested in Serbia before being supplied to European and global markets.

Minth says the machines use multimodal perception, tactile sensing and artificial intelligence, with initial applications including material handling, loading and unloading, inspection and other repetitive or potentially hazardous industrial tasks.

"Serbia's industrial infrastructure is solid, and transportation to Europe is convenient," said Jin Mao, manager at the Minth robotics factory. "The base has realized localized manufacturing of humanoid robots, better serving European customers."

Serbia also brings its own history of robotics research. Scientists at Belgrade's Mihajlo Pupin Institute developed the pioneering 'Belgrade Hand' in 1963, while Serbian researchers later worked on active exoskeletons and the zero-moment-point concept that became important in controlling the dynamic balance of walking robots.

Kosta Jovanovic, associate professor of robotics at the University of Belgrade, said Serbia's work in the 1960s also included early humanoid robots, creating a scientific foundation that predates today's commercial production.

Now the challenge is turning foreign investment into broader local expertise, giving Serbian engineers, researchers and suppliers opportunities to participate in development rather than only final assembly.

Another Chinese investment could strengthen that emerging technology ecosystem. Jiangsu Reliance Energy Tech plans to invest around $112 million in an advanced battery plant in Indija. The batteries are intended for humanoid robots, drones, unmanned vehicles, power tools and other equipment.

A framework agreement was signed in August, and construction is expected to begin in November.

For Serbia, the projects also offer an opportunity to position itself as a European manufacturing base for emerging Chinese technologies.

Together, the Sabac robotics operation and the planned Indija battery plant point towards a more technologically advanced phase of Chinese investment in Serbia. Their longer-term impact, however, will depend on how successfully production is connected with domestic knowledge, engineering skills, research institutions and local suppliers.