A Chinese auto parts supplier has officially given Europe its very first mass-production factory for humanoid robots, settling in western Serbia to teach local workers how to assemble machines that can fold laundry, play chess, and perform traditional Chinese calligraphy for visiting politicians.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vu?i? celebrated the opening of the 3,000-square-meter facility in Šabac on Saturday, greeting the first unit off the line, a machine that politely welcomed him as the first humanoid robot made in Serbia. The spectacle arrived just three months after Vu?i? toured the Jiaxing headquarters of Minth Group in eastern China, where he declared that the company's automated operations felt like the 22nd century.
Minth Group, historically known for manufacturing automotive exterior trim and structural parts, poured 20 million euros ($22.3 million) into the initial phase of the plant. Company plans call for an eventual 200 million euro industrial park capable of cranking out up to 20,000 humanoid robots and robotic dogs annually for European and global markets. For now, the facility aims to deliver 500 units this year, with initial deployments earmarked for service duties at the 2027 World Expo in Belgrade.
Rather than simply shipping finished machines westward, China is exporting its entire industrial apparatus. Core Serbian staff, including 26-year-old technician Petar Popovic, were flown to Zhejiang province for intensive training on how to calibrate the vision and motion systems of their new mechanical colleagues. Minth executives noted that China is not monopolizing its technology, but instead generously offering Europe the complete package, from supply chains to workforce re-education.
While Europe prepares to deploy its first modest batch of factory helpers and Expo greeters, Chinese consumers back home are already being coaxed into buying domestic robots alongside their smartphones. In Hangzhou, retail giant Huaji Shijie and startup Qiyuan Robotics recently launched pre-sales for personal consumer models, including an 88-centimeter-tall companion bot and a transforming model capable of dual-mode tracking and automated video filming in shopping malls.
The commercial push in Chinese retail outlets highlights a growing gap in the global robotics landscape. While Asian markets treat personal AI companions as the next routine consumer impulse buy, European leaders are celebrating prototype machines dancing on factory floors, relying on Chinese capital and Zhejiang training programs to jumpstart their region's automated future.
