According to The Serbian Economist, mass production of humanoid robots officially began on August 29 in Šabac, Serbia, as part of a joint project between the Chinese companies Minth Group and AGIBOT. The Serbian Development Agency (RAS) calls this facility Europe’s first mass-production base for humanoid robots. The first phase of the project is estimated at 20 million euros.
Production is underway at the existing Minth Metal Parts Majur facility in Šabac. The first robot assembled there was assigned a serial number during the opening ceremony, which was attended by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, Minth Group founder Qing Zhonghua, and representatives of AGIBOT, the Serbian government, the city of Šabac, and the Serbian Development Agency.
“Today, Serbia has taken a step into the future and demonstrated that it is capable of moving forward at a pace unmatched by many more developed European countries,” Vučić stated at the plant’s opening.
According to the president, in the first phase, the plant expects to assemble more than 5,000 robots per year, and initially, about 200 people will work directly in this new division. In the future, the project is set to transition from assembly to deeper localization of production. Vučić emphasized that he considers it fundamentally important for the robots to bear the “Made in Serbia” label.
The next phase of the project is significantly larger in scale. Minth intends to build the Robotics Industrial Park in Indija, with a total planned investment of approximately 200 million euros. The park is designed to integrate the production of robots, unmanned systems, batteries, and other high-tech components. Once the project is implemented, the stated production capacity could reach 20,000 humanoid robots and robot dogs per year, targeting both the European and global markets.
The project is particularly interesting because the technology is coming to Serbia not from a small experimental company. Minth’s technology partner is the Shanghai-based company AGIBOT Innovation, founded in 2023 and specializing in embodied AI—the combination of artificial intelligence with robots capable of perceiving their surroundings, making decisions, and performing physical tasks.
According to research firm Smart Analytics Global, global shipments of humanoid robots totaled approximately 19,100 units in the first half of 2026, an increase of 272% compared to the previous year. AGIBOT shipped approximately 8,400 robots and captured 44% of the global market, ahead of Unitree Robotics, which held a 31% share. Thus, the Serbian project’s technology partner is currently the world’s largest supplier of humanoid robots in terms of shipment volume.
AGIBOT already has its own production facility in Shanghai. The company produced its first 1,000 general-purpose robots in early 2025, and by mid-2026, total production had reached 15,000 units, according to RAS.
The second project participant—Minth Group—is significantly older and larger. The company was founded by Qin Junhua in the 1990s and is now one of the world’s leading manufacturers of automotive components. Minth is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the ticker 0425.HK and specializes in body panels, exterior automotive components, aluminum parts, and battery casings.
According to the group’s own data, as of the end of 2025, it had 27,400 employees, approximately 80 factories and offices in 15 countries across four continents.
Another component of the emerging cluster is expected to be the battery industry. Vučić stated that the first agreements are planned to be signed with Reliance regarding a battery plant in Indija worth approximately 100.5 million euros. This project is expected to be linked to a future robotics and unmanned systems park.
https://t.me/relocationrs/3563
