# Samsung and LG recruit foreign specialists for robot automation *The hiring drive targets Japanese motion control specialists and physical AI researchers, with robotics taking nine of 12 open roles at Samsung's foreign arm.* **Published:** November 8, 2026 **By:** So-yeon Jung **Section:** Robotics & Automation — South Korea **Format:** Breaking **Confidence:** medium **Source:** https://eastasiabrief.com/robotics/samsung-lg-recruit-foreign-specialists-robot-automation-1245 **Publisher:** East Asia Brief (https://eastasiabrief.com/) --- ## What to know - Samsung and LG expanded overseas recruitment on Nov. 8, 2026 for robotics motion control and physical AI - Samsung allocates 75% of DX foreign R&D hiring to robotics while LG recruits over 100 North American researchers - LG concludes fall university rounds in late November ahead of Samsung prototype reviews for CES 2027 in January ![Engineers adjust a robotic arm while reviewing technical data on a tablet inside a robotics research laboratory. (AI-generated image)](https://eastasiabrief.com/media/2026-11-08-10a122edd229.webp) *Engineers adjust a robotic arm while reviewing technical data on a tablet inside a robotics research laboratory. (AI-generated image)* Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics expanded overseas engineering recruitment on Nov. 8, 2026, targeting international specialists in motion control and physical artificial intelligence to accelerate commercial robot deployment. The hiring drives target precision hardware as both companies prepare industrial robots for manufacturing facilities. In Samsung's foreign research recruitment, robotics accounted for nine of 12 open engineering roles, or 75% of the intake. Samsung R&D Institute Japan in Yokohama renewed an engineering job posting Nov. 5 for robotics control specialists. The position focuses on miniature actuator servo control, motor software and multi-jointed finger mechanics. Actuators function as motorized joints that deliver mechanical torque, while servo controls regulate precision angles. The Yokohama center is developing compact control units capable of operating dexterous robotic hands in factory assembly. The recruitment follows an earlier intake opened Aug. 20 by Samsung's Device eXperience division. That round targeted specialists in whole-body kinematics, tactile sensors and teleoperation software for humanoid robots. Samsung placed its robotics development under direct executive oversight in July, creating the dedicated Robotics Experience unit. The group operates alongside the Production Engineering Research Institute to automate internal electronics fabrication. The hardware push relies heavily on Samsung's capital ties to domestic robotics manufacturers. Samsung holds a 35% equity stake in Rainbow Robotics, which develops collaborative arms and bipedal humanoid platforms. Rainbow Robotics provides robotic arm hardware, while Samsung supplies vision processing and artificial intelligence models. The affiliate represents Samsung's primary external manufacturing vehicle for physical automation systems. LG Electronics has pursued a parallel talent acquisition effort across North American technology centers. Company executives hosted a private recruitment conference in San Francisco on Aug. 29, meeting over 100 doctoral researchers. Attendees were drawn from Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and UC Berkeley. LG Chief Executive Lyu Jae-cheol and Chief Technology Officer Kim Byoung-hoon personally led the recruitment sessions. Song Si-yong, head of LG's Robotics Business Center, outlined hiring priorities spanning motion planning and spatial AI. The group then conducted campus recruitment across six North American universities through September. LG is seeking to convert its domestic appliance motor expertise into high-margin industrial actuators. The company supplies compressors and precision motors, generating internal manufacturing scale for robotic drive systems. The company showcased its wheeled humanoid service robot, CLOiD, at CES in January. The system combines dual multi-axis arms with mobile autonomous bases designed for commercial buildings and logistics facilities. Affiliate LG CNS has expanded software integration through its PhysicalWorks platform, introduced in May. The system aggregates sensor telemetry and task coordination across industrial fleets, hiring dozens of field robotics engineers. Factory deployment in Korean cleanrooms requires robots to handle silicon wafer cassettes and delicate display panels without particulate contamination. Engineers working on cleanroom robotics must design sealed actuator housings and frictionless bearing assemblies to meet ISO Class 1 standards. Industrial deployments also target secondary battery cell assembly lines, where volatile chemical exposure demands explosion-proof electrical certification. The engineering teams are standardizing modular joint architectures across multiple factory formats to lower production costs per unit. Both Korean conglomerates are positioning physical AI as a critical buffer against domestic demographic decline. South Korea's working-age population is shrinking, driving industrial manufacturers to replace manual handling with automated robotics. Global competitors in the United States and China have accelerated humanoid testing in automotive plants. The competitive pressure has compressed commercialization timelines for dexterous manipulation and warehouse logistics robots. Dexterous manipulation requires delicate tactile sensors to grasp irregular components without fracturing them. Cables mimic human tendon networks, pulling mechanical digits through compact electric motors embedded inside the forearm. Samsung's Yokohama lab is tasked with solving power density limits in those compact arm motors. Japanese component suppliers maintain extensive expertise in harmonic drive reducers and precision miniature servomotors. The hiring push reveals where Korean electronics manufacturers face domestic talent constraints. While local universities produce software developers, specialized mechanical kinematics and precision motor engineering remain concentrated in Japan and North America. By establishing overseas research desks, Samsung and LG can access specialized talent without requiring foreign relocation. The engineers coordinate directly with Korean assembly plants through digital twin simulation networks. The recruitment documents do not state specific hiring quotas or total capital expenditures allocated to the programs. Neither company has published target headcount figures or unit delivery timetables for their humanoid prototypes. LG plans to conclude its fall North American university interview rounds in late November. Samsung's Robotics Experience division is scheduled to review physical hand prototypes ahead of technology demonstrations at CES 2027 in January. ## Impact map | Event | Korea | China | Japan | Global impact | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Overseas robotics recruitment drive | Samsung and LG accelerate domestic line automation, backing Rainbow Robotics with 35% equity | Competitors face narrowing lead in physical AI manufacturing integration | Precision motor and harmonic reducer developers see rising actuator R&D inquiries | Factory automation BOM shifts toward specialized dexterous manipulation subsystems | ## In this story - **Companies:** Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics - **Tickers:** 005930.KS, 066570.KS - **Exposed:** Rainbow Robotics, LG CNS - **Impact:** Supply Chain, Capex, Cost Structure ## Primary sources 1. newsis.com 2. factinnews.co.kr 3. chosun.com 4. epnc.co.kr 5. sisajournal-e.com --- Cite as: East Asia Brief, "Samsung and LG recruit foreign specialists for robot automation," November 8, 2026. https://eastasiabrief.com/robotics/samsung-lg-recruit-foreign-specialists-robot-automation-1245