New hub brings MakinaRocks closer to automotive, heavy industry, and shipbuilding customers across South Korea’s Yeongnam region
Local hiring and training will help strengthen the region’s industrial AI talent base
SEOUL, South Korea, August 31, 2026 — MakinaRocks, South Korea’s leading Physical AI company, today announced the opening of AI Studio @Changwon, its first regional hub. The new location will serve customers and support business expansion across the Yeongnam region, including Changwon, Geoje, Daegu, and Ulsan — a major manufacturing region for South Korea’s automotive, heavy industry, and shipbuilding sectors.
AI Studio @Changwon marks MakinaRocks’ first regional expansion beyond its Seoul headquarters. By establishing a permanent presence closer to manufacturing sites, the company aims to provide faster, more responsive support to existing customers, including Doosan Enerbility and DENSO, while expanding its work with manufacturers across the region.
MakinaRocks will also hire locally for the Changwon hub. New hires will receive training at the company’s Seoul headquarters before joining the regional team, helping build industrial AI expertise and create new opportunities for AI talent in the region.
Changwon is the first step in MakinaRocks’ broader regional expansion strategy. The company plans to establish additional hubs in areas with high concentrations of manufacturing customers, bringing its Physical AI capabilities closer to the industrial environments where they are deployed.
The expansion comes as South Korea accelerates investment in advanced industries and regional growth. On June 29, the government unveiled its “Tripolar Megaprojects for a Great Leap,” an industrial initiative centered on three strategic pillars — semiconductors, AI data centers, and Physical AI — alongside KRW 4,700 trillion (approximately USD 3.4 trillion) in planned public and private investment. Days later, at a July 3 national briefing in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, Samsung Electronics, SK Telecom, Hyundai Motor, and Hanwha announced a combined KRW 312 trillion (approximately USD 223 billion) in planned investment across the Yeongnam region.
“In manufacturing, proximity matters. The closer we are to our customers and their operations, the faster we can respond to challenges on the ground,” said Andre S. Yoon, CEO of MakinaRocks. “AI Studio @Changwon brings us closer to manufacturers across the Yeongnam region and gives us a stronger foundation to expand Physical AI where it creates value — in real industrial environments. At the same time, we hope to strengthen the region’s industrial AI ecosystem by developing talent and expertise locally.”
