South Korean operator KT moved to boost its smart factory credentials by taking a stake in the robotics arm of Hyundai Heavy Industries Group, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The operator plans a KRW50 billion ($41.3 million) investment in a 10 per cent stake in Hyundai Robotics.

KT also plans a partnership to develop smart factory applications, with the operator sharing its expertise in 5G networks, AI, big data and security; and Hyundai Robotics building robots, the news agency said. The pair also plan to develop service bots.

In June 2019, the operator unveiled plans to invest KRW500 billion in its cloud business and install 5G edge communication centres in eight locations across the country. At the time, it said Hyundai Heavy Industries Group would use the 5G edge cloud to support robots and automate inspection at a new smart factory.

Operators in the country launched 5G services in April 2019: by end-March, KT had 1.78 million subscribers, 12.5 per cent of its total user base.