KIRO

What KIRO does

KIRO (Korea Institute of Robotics & Technology Convergence / 한국로봇융합연구원) is a non-profit national research institute established in 2011 and headquartered in Pohang, South Korea. It operates under the supervision of the Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, with additional stewardship from the Ministry of Employment and Labor, Gyeongsangbuk-do provincial government, and Pohang city government. The institute is funded primarily through government appropriations and national R&D grants, making it a government cost center rather than a market-revenue entity. Its operational scope spans three integrated pillars: research and development, enterprise support, and talent cultivation.

The institute develops specialized robotic systems across industrial, collaborative, autonomous, underwater, healthcare, construction, agricultural, and Antarctic exploration domains, with notable proprietary platforms including the Korea Antarctic Robot EXplorer (KATE), the URI-T underwater cable burial robot, a mobile manipulation system for marine pier construction, a high-angle construction painting robot, a ropeway facility inspection robot, and a full-cycle field agriculture intelligence robot. These are deployed as demonstration systems and licensed/transferred to Korean industry. KIRO runs the Robo Life Museum in Pohang for public science education (5,000 KRW individual admission), the Robot Career Innovation Center (RoTIC) in Gumi for vocational certification, and Seoul-based training programs including a 6-month AI practical personnel training course for mobile robotics.

KIRO's business model is multi-streamed but government-dominated: the largest revenue is national and provincial R&D grants; secondary streams include professional training fees (Robot Operator/Coordinator courses, 180-hour and 900-hour programs), museum admissions and maker kit retail, technology transfer and equipment/facility usage fees paid by Korean manufacturers, and competition entry fees from the annual Korea Intelligent Robot Competition. The institute maintains an ecosystem of 100+ partner organizations spanning Korean conglomerates (POSCO, Hanwha, Samsung Engineering, LIG Nex1), premier universities (KAIST, POSTECH), and national research institutes (KIST, KIOST, KETI, KOPRI). In June 2026, KIRO opened its first regional expansion — the Central Region Research Center at Chungnam National University — signaling geographic diversification beyond its Gyeongsangbuk-do base.

Name

KIRO

Legal name

한국로봇융합研究院 (Korea Institute of Robotics & Technology Convergence)

Website

https://kiro.re.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

KIRO (Korea Institute of Robotics & Technology Convergence) is a South Korean government-funded national research institute that develops specialized robots across industrial, marine, construction, and agricultural domains while running vocational training, public science education, and enterprise support programs for Korean manufacturers and students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Robotics Research and Development

NAICS

Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHDAAAIAK

Robot Software, Autonomy Stacks & Simulation (ROS, digital twins)

Hardware, Technology & Telecom/Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning/Robotics & Autonomous Systems

SECONDARYHDAAAIAL

Robot Hardware, Actuators & Components (sensors, grippers, motors)

Hardware, Technology & Telecom/Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning/Robotics & Autonomous Systems

SECONDARYHDAAAIAO

Robotics Safety, Certification & Compliance

Hardware, Technology & Telecom/Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning/Robotics & Autonomous Systems

SECONDARYEDAOAHAC

Industrial Robotics (Programming, Operation & Safety)

Education/Vocational, Technical & Trade Education/Industrial Maintenance, Mechatronics & Robotics

SECONDARYEDAFANAB

Robotics Learning Platforms

Education/Education Technology (EdTech) & Digital Learning/STEM & Coding Learning Platforms (Robotics, Maker, Computer Science)

Keywords

• Robotics R&D services
• Robot operator training
• Robotics technology transfer
• Robot exhibition services
• Robot validation testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Pohang

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding and Research Grants: As a government-funded research institute, KIRO operates primarily through national research budgets, government grants, and public funding for robotics R&D projects.
2. Education and Training Services: Revenue generated from professional robot education programs, robot operator/coordinator training, and career innovation center courses.
3. Museum and Exhibition Fees: Admission fees from Robo Life Museum exhibitions and educational programs for visitors.
4. Technology Transfer and Licensing: Revenue from technology transfer services and equipment/facility usage fees for companies.
5. Robot Competition Entry Fees: Fees collected from participants in various robot competitions organized by KIRO.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

KIRO is a national robotics R&D institute that develops and demonstrates field, industrial, collaborative, underwater, construction, agricultural, and healthcare robot systems, transfers those technologies to Korean manufacturing and technology companies, and runs enterprise-support services such as equipment/facility usage and proof-of-concept testing. It complements its research mission with public-facing operations including the Robo Life Museum, professional robot operator/coordinator and AI mobile robot training at RoTIC and Seoul, and the annual Korea Intelligent Robot Competition.

Product overview

KIRO (Korea Institute of Robotics & Technology Convergence) is a national research institute operating as a unified platform combining research development, enterprise support, and talent cultivation. The core institution conducts R&D across diverse robotics domains including field robotics (extreme environment robots), marine robotics, construction robotics, and intelligent systems. KIRO's service ecosystem includes the Robo Life Museum (public education and exhibitions), the Robot Career Innovation Center (vocational training and certification), the Safety Robot Demonstration Center, and the K-ICT 3D Printing Gyeongbuk Center. The organization also runs the annual Korea Intelligent Robot Competition and specialized education programs for robot operators and coordinators. Key research outputs include field robots such as Antarctic exploration robots, underwater cable burial robots, bridge construction robots, and agricultural intelligence robots.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KIRO Robotics R&D and Enterprise Support Services National research institute service providing robotics and technology convergence R&D across industrial, service, marine, and construction robotics, plus enterprise-facing technology transfer consultation, equipment/facility usage, and proof-of-concept testing for Korean manufacturers and technology firms.
• Robo Life Museum Interactive robot exhibition museum at the KIRO Pohang campus offering guided tours, educational programs, and maker kit experiences for visitors of all ages, including children, families, and school groups.
• Robot Career Innovation Center (RoTIC) Workforce development center in Gumi offering professional robot training courses, Robot Operator and Robot Coordinator certification programs, corporate/customized training, and employment matching services operated in partnership with the Ministry of Employment and Labor.
• Safety Robot Demonstration Center Testing and demonstration facility for safety robots providing validation and trial services for robot technologies, supporting proof-of-concept testing for companies and researchers.
• K-ICT 3D Printing Gyeongbuk Center 3D printing / additive manufacturing technology center serving the Gyeongsangbuk-do region, providing additive manufacturing prototyping and support services.
• Korea Intelligent Robot Competition Annual national robotics competition organized by KIRO featuring categories including intelligent robots, performance robots, defense robots, underwater robots, and humanoid challenges, with competitions held regionally (e.g., Busan Robot Competition).
• Robot Specialized Education Programs Professional and vocational training programs covering industrial robots (Hyundai, Yaskawa, Robostar), collaborative robots (Doosan, Universal Robots), PLC control (LS, Mitsubishi), and 3D CAD/CAM, plus a 6-month (900-hour) AI Practical Personnel Training for Mobile Robot program in Seoul.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% reduction in medication administration errors at MedStar Georgetown Hospital using pharmacy robots

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and medium.

• Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (산업통상자원부)coreOthersGovernment ministry providing policy support and funding for KIRO's national robotics research initiatives. Supports industrial robotics development and technology commercialization programs.
• Gyeongsangbuk-do (경상북도)coreOthersProvincial government providing local support for KIRO's research operations and regional robotics industry development in eastern North Gyeongsang province.
• Pohang City (포항시)coreOthersCity government hosting KIRO headquarters and supporting regional robotics industry growth through local policies and infrastructure.
• Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremier Korean research university collaborating on advanced robotics research, talent development, and technology transfer initiatives.
• Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading science and technology university in Pohang partnering on robotics research and human resource development.
• Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational research institute collaborating on robotics and advanced technology research programs.
• Korea Electronics Technology Institute (한국전자기술研究院)mediumStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch institute collaborating on electronic technology applications for robotics systems.
• Korea Research Institute for Ships and Ocean Engineering (KIOST)mediumStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch institute collaborating on ocean robotics and underwater robot technology development.
• Korea Polar Research Institute (극지연구소)mediumStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch institute collaborating on Antarctic exploration robot development (KATE - Korea Antarctic Robot EXplorer).
• Korea Research Foundation (한국연구재단)coreOthersNational research funding agency providing grant support for KIRO's academic research projects and international collaboration programs.
• Hanwha (한화)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor Korean conglomerate collaborating on defense robotics and advanced technology development.
• Samsung Engineering (삼성엔지니어링)mediumStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering company collaborating on industrial robot applications and automation solutions.
• LIG Nex1 (엘이지넥스원)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDefense technology company collaborating on defense robotics and security robot development.
• POSCO (포스코)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor steel manufacturer collaborating on industrial robotics and automation for manufacturing processes.
• Gumi Electronics and Information Technology Center (GERI)mediumStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional research institute in Gumi collaborating on electronics and IT technologies for robotics applications.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• DFKI (German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence): Germany's national AI and robotics R&D institute. Like KIRO, DFKI operates as a publicly funded applied-research organization spanning robotics, AI, and autonomous systems with strong industry and academic partnerships, serving as the closest international analogue to KIRO's national-institute model.
• AIST (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Japan): Japan's largest public R&D organization with a dedicated robotics and autonomous systems program. Closely comparable to KIRO as a government-funded institute that runs field robotics research, operates testbeds, and partners with major Japanese manufacturers.
• Italy's Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT): Publicly funded Italian research institute with a world-class robotics program covering humanoid, marine, and industrial robotics. Comparable to KIRO in operating a multi-domain robotics R&D portfolio funded by government and academic partnerships.
• ITRI (Industrial Technology Research Institute, Taiwan): Taiwan's government-funded industrial R&D organization with significant robotics and automation programs for manufacturing. Strong analogue to KIRO's role in supporting domestic manufacturers via applied robotics research and tech transfer.
• KIST (Korea Institute of Science and Technology): Korea's premier national science and technology research institute. As a listed partner of KIRO and a peer-level national R&D organization with significant robotics activities, KIST shares KIRO's mandate, funding structure, and cross-ministerial oversight model.
• Korea Electronics Technology Institute (KETI): Korean government-funded research institute specializing in electronics and IT for robotics systems. As a listed KIRO partner, KETI works on adjacent robot subsystems and shares the same funding and mandate profile.
• ARM (Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing) Institute: US-based public-private partnership focused on robotics education, workforce development, and certification. Directly comparable to RoTIC's workforce certification and training mandate in a different geography.

Emerging players

• National Robotics Engineering Center (NREC) at Carnegie Mellon: A US-based robotics R&D and commercialization center operating similarly to KIRO, with a focus on field robotics, autonomy, and applied industry programs. Comparable as a public-interest robotics R&D entity rather than a national institute.
• Rainbow Robotics: Originating from KAIST, Rainbow Robotics is a Korean humanoid and collaborative robot maker. Overlaps with KIRO's research scope and is among the Korean robotics companies KIRO supports through technology transfer and education.

Broad incumbents

• Doosan Robotics: Korea's leading collaborative robot manufacturer. KIRO's RoTIC explicitly trains operators and coordinators on Doosan cobots, making Doosan Robotics a key commercial counterparty whose product strategy is directly influenced by KIRO's workforce pipeline.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCqNSUqMgrkJVM8eIAyq0iIw
• Facebookfacebook.com/futurewithrobot
• Instagraminstagram.com/kiro_story

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about KIRO