The South Korean city of Incheon is preparing a test bed for trialling robotics technologies. On 4 November 2026, it brought together eight companies and several specialist organisations to define the facilities needed for future trials.
The consultation took place at KINTEX in Ilsan, at the opening of the 2026 RobotWorld trade show. Its aim is to align industry needs with the future test equipment. The city wants to build infrastructure where companies can test their robots in real-world conditions and collect data useful for their development. The project is still at the consultation stage with local stakeholders.
Now Robotics and Yuil Robotics help define the test facilities
The meeting brought together Incheon’s Future Industries Department, the Korea Electronics Technology Institute (KETI), Incheon Technopark and eight local robotics companies, including Now Robotics and Yuil Robotics.
Discussions focused on the practical needs of manufacturers and developers who want to trial their technologies in suitable facilities. A preliminary survey had gathered several requirements covering:
- The floor area needed for indoor and outdoor test facilities.
- The layout of the spaces used for trials.
- The technical infrastructure needed for robot testing.
This input is meant to help the city design a test bed that matches industrial use. The goal is to provide spaces where companies can trial their robotic systems and build up data.
Incheon Robot Land set to become a robotics innovation hub
The future test bed is part of a broader industrial development strategy. Under the ABC+E programme led by Mayor Park Chan-dae, Incheon plans to turn Incheon Robot Land into an innovation hub bringing together robotics companies and research organisations.
This direction is also meant to support the city’s commitments in artificial intelligence. Incheon intends to encourage collaboration between industry and researchers on the development of robotics technologies.
The Cheongna district is another strand of the strategy. Incheon plans to concentrate development work on AI-connected vehicle technologies there, along with cybersecurity certification and evaluation infrastructure.
A strategy council to continue talks with industry
To support the preparation of the new infrastructure, the city intends to draw on the Incheon Robot Industry Innovation Strategy Council, launched in July 2026.
The body brings together representatives from industry, universities, research institutes and government. It is intended to keep the dialogue with companies going and to turn their needs into improvements to public policy and institutional frameworks.
Kim Sang-gil, director of Incheon’s Future Industries Department, stressed the importance of test infrastructure for competitiveness in physical artificial intelligence. In his view, robot testing and data collection are essential to the development of the sector.
The city now plans to review the proposals gathered from companies, incorporate them into the design of the test bed and gradually develop a shared industrial environment for Incheon’s robotics players.