POSCO DX, led by CEO Jeong Deok-kyun, has formalized a partnership agreement with Exotec, a French unicorn company specializing in the provision of fulfillment center robots and automation systems. This milestone was achieved at the POSCO DX building located in Pangyo Techno Valley. Attendees included Jeong Deok-kyun, CEO of POSCO DX; Seok Jae-ho, Logistics Automation Business Manager at POSCO DX; Romain Moulin, CEO of Exotec; and Ryu Tatewaki, Exotec Japan Branch Manager.
This alliance aims to enable both companies to target domestic and international logistics automation markets. More specifically, their plan is to apply Exotec’s “Skypod” automated warehouse robot to the integrated fulfillment center project led by POSCO DX, thereby supplying the domestic market. POSCO DX is set to bolster its competitiveness within relevant sectors as it acquires the rights to supply Exotec’s system in Asia for the second time, following Japan.
Exotec is recognized as a unicorn company offering “Skypod,” a robot designed to automate transport, storage, retrieval, and loading of goods in a warehouse. The Skypod is an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) system that melds the capabilities of a low-floor Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV), similar to Amazon’s KIVA, with a Cube-type automatic loading function. It overcomes the height restriction of traditional racks, which were a drawback of earlier unmanned transport systems, and can store items up to 12m in height. Boasting impressive space utilization features, the system can also increase the number of vertical self-driving robots responsible for picking, transporting, and loading. Consequently, the Skypod offers a five-fold increase in throughput and scalability compared to previous models.
Seok Jae-ho, Head of the Logistics Automation Business Department at POSCO DX, stated, “Our collaboration aims to target the logistics automation market as the first domestic supplier of the Skypod system. This system is better suited for fulfillment centers, boasting superior design scalability and flexibility than existing automated warehouse systems. Additionally, it is compliant with strict domestic fire safety standards, making it ideal for entering the new distribution center market.”
Gilles Baulard, Vice President of Exotec Asia-Pacific, commented, “I was amazed by the grand scale of the Daejeon Mega Hub site that POSCO DX is currently constructing. We are eager to penetrate the Korean fulfilment automation market and expect to create synergies.”
POSCO DX has been spearheading a project to develop and manage a Baggage Handling System (BHS) that handles travelers’ luggage at Incheon International Airport (with a total conveyor length of 184 km). Utilizing this expertise, POSCO DX is pushing forward with smart logistics ventures such as the creation of an integrated fulfillment center and warehouses like the smart hub terminal for Hanjin Express in Daejeon. This project, valued at approximately 120 billion won (94 million USD), is among the largest in Korea.
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