Europe's first humanoid robot mass-production base begins production in China-Serbia joint project
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic plays football with a humanoid robot at a joint robot mass-production base in Sabac, Serbia on August 29, 2026. Photo: Courtesy of Jiaxing government media center Serbia's first robot factory officially began production in the western city of Sabac on Saturday local time. The joint project marks a shift in cooperation toward high-end manufacturing, and boosts Serbia's robotics role in Europe. Expertly built by China and Serbia, it is also Europe's first mass-production base for humanoid robots. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, attending the launch ceremony, called the project an important step toward the country's future, Chinese automotive supplier Minth Group told the Global Times on Sunday.The first humanoid robot produced at the factory rolled off the production line on the day operations began. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic interacted with the robot, which also demonstrated a range of functions, including Chinese calligraphy, folding clothes, playing chess and dancing, according to Minth Group.Vucic said humanoid robot production is opening up a new field of technological development for Serbia. The country hopes to integrate robot manufacturing with industries such as artificial intelligence (AI), supercomputing and data centers, while boosting local talent development and employment and strengthening Serbia's position in Europe's robotics industry.Vucic said the launch in Sabac was of great significance for Serbia, adding that the country is becoming a frontrunner in the mass production of humanoid robots in Europe.Vucic said the factory is expected to assemble and produce more than 5,000 humanoid robots annually in the future, with the robots potentially used across healthcare, agriculture, industry and defense, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
