Serbia opens Europe's first mass-production facility for humanoid robots

• Project plans annual production of up to 20,000 humanoid robots and robotic dogs

Serbia on Saturday opened a facility for mass production of humanoid robots in the western city of Sabac, with the government describing it as Europe's first such production base.

The factory, operated by Chinese manufacturer Minth Group in partnership with Chinese robotics company AGIBOT, was opened in the presence of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Qin Ronghua, founder of Minth Group.

The first phase of the project represents an investment of €20 million, while a Robotics Industrial Park planned in the northern city of Indjija will bring the total planned investment to €200 million, the government said in a statement.

Upon completion of the project, annual production capacity is expected to reach 20,000 humanoid robots and robotic dogs for markets across Europe and the world.

Vucic said he hoped more than 5,000 robots would initially be assembled at the facility each year, describing the project as a step into a new technological era for Serbia. He said Serbia must keep pace with leading powers.

The company plans to expand its product range in the country to include unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and advanced batteries, Qin said.

The opening follows Vucic's visit to China in May, when he toured Minth's innovation center in Shanghai and viewed demonstrations of robotic technologies.