Innovation

StMicroelectronics brings humanoids to chip factories

Plan to introduce more than a hundred robots in factories, starting with those abroad, by 2027. Supply agreement with the Italian

by Nino Amadore

5 May 2026

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

The first has already been seen at work in Malta: a humanoid robot working in the StMicroelectronics plant dedicated to advanced packaging and chip testing. Not an exhibition machine, not a technology fair prototype, but a humanoid embedded in a real production process.

This is where StM's new plan starts: to introduce humanoid robots in the group's factories to automate the toughest, repetitive and physically demanding tasks, freeing staff from low-value-added jobs and moving them to more skilled tasks.

The programme reportedly envisages the introduction of more than a hundred humanoids by the end of 2027, distributed progressively across the group's sites. The first phase will concern non-Italian plants, starting with Malta, where the first robot is already operational. In the coming years, however, the transformation may also affect the Italian plants of StMicroelectronics, within a broader strategy of automation, efficiency recovery and reorganisation of mature factories.

"The robot performs tasks that used to be carried out by humans, but we have mainly intended it for activities that operators would not do willingly," says Fabio Gualandris, president of Quality, Manufacturing and Technology at StMicroelectronics. "These include cleaning machine parts that are still hot, tasks that also require the use of rather dangerous chemicals. This entails the need to wear heavy and uncomfortable protective equipment to protect oneself from the heat and the risks associated with the substances used".

Behind the choice of humanoids there is also industrial selection work. StM studied the world market of suppliers. The first issue that emerged was security: in a semiconductor factory, a humanoid is not just a machine, but a system with software, sensors, connections and potential access to sensitive processes. For this reason, the group moved cautiously, evaluating several suppliers, including Asian ones, before opting for an Italian start-up. "They are not machines to be controlled remotely, with a joystick. That is a scenic technology, in some ways fun, but it still needs years,' is the reasoning behind the industrial choice. We have taken a different path: not robots designed to make an impression, but solutions focused on industrial applications.

Included in this strategy is the agreement with Oversonic Robotics, an Italian company that develops the RoBee cognitive humanoid robots. The agreement provides for the supply of customised robots for production and logistics processes in StMicroelectronics plants. 'This is a major investment, but we are not talking about out-of-scale figures,' says Gualandris. But the figures are known: a prototype developed completely from scratch can cost around EUR 140,000. Once the process has been industrialised, the cost can drop below 70-80 thousand euros for an industrial robot. For domestic robots, on the other hand, the future target is around 40 thousand euros, although we are not there yet.

This robot is designed to work alongside operators in real industrial environments. The difference from many demonstration humanoids is precisely this: not a remote-controlled machine for show, but a system capable of moving inside a factory, recognising the environment, reading inputs, performing repetitive tasks and interacting with existing machinery. StM's strategy, however, does not stop at the internal use of robots.

The group is also playing a second game: to become a supplier of the new global humanoid robotics supply chain and this production line could be strategic for Catania, Agrate and Castelletto in Italia. Humanoids need sensors, microcontrollers, vision systems, motor drivers, power components, energy management and artificial intelligence edge solutions. 'Italian sites play an important role in terms of research and development,' Gualandris concludes.