STMicroelectronics has entered into a supply agreement with Italian robotics firm Oversonic Robotics to deploy its RoBee cognitive humanoid robots across the company’s semiconductor manufacturing network. The first unit was installed in the advanced packaging and testing facility in Malta, marking the first operational use of a humanoid robot in a fab environment.
The RoBee robots have been customized for STMicroelectronics’ needs: they feature AI‑driven autonomous navigation, bimanual manipulation, and human‑robot collaboration modules that allow them to pick, place, and inspect wafers while working alongside human operators. The agreement covers 12 robots to be deployed in four plants worldwide, with a phased rollout scheduled for 2026‑2027.
Financially, the supply agreement is valued at $120 million over five years, including maintenance, software updates, and joint research and development. STMicroelectronics will invest an additional $30 million in internal integration and training to ensure seamless integration with existing AGVs and process control systems.
The partnership comes at a time when STMicroelectronics is restructuring to address a challenging financial period. The company reported net revenue of $2.52 billion and a net income of $56 million in Q1 2025, followed by a net loss of $97 million on $2.77 billion in Q2 2025. The robotics investment is part of a broader effort to improve cycle times, reduce labor costs, and support a restructuring program targeting $1 billion in cost savings by 2027.
Strategically, the deployment of humanoid robots is seen as the next frontier for semiconductor manufacturing. Management expects a 15 % throughput increase at the Malta facility, a reduction in human error, and greater flexibility to reconfigure production lines. Oversonic’s CEO, Fabio Puglia, highlighted the partnership as a validation of the company’s vision for cognitive robotics in industrial settings.
The first live demonstration of the RoBee robots will take place at CES 2026, where the robots will showcase wafer handling, autonomous navigation, and collaborative work with human operators in a simulated fab environment.
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