To seize the initiative in the edge AI chip sector, LG Electronics is forming a technology alliance with South Korea's top AI semiconductor enterprises, focusing on developing dedicated chips for robots and smart home appliances. This move is supported by a South Korean government-led industrial project, and behind it lies the fierce competition between Chinese and South Korean enterprises in niche tracks such as robotic vacuum cleaners.
According to industry insiders, as revealed on November 19th, LG Electronics' alliance plan will be integrated into the framework of the "K-Edge Semiconductor Project" led by South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Funded with 1 trillion won by the South Korean government, the core goal of this project is to build world-class edge AI chips by 2030, covering key fields including national defense, home appliances, and humanoid robots. LG Electronics' layout is precisely a key implementation of this national strategy.
Currently, LG Electronics has initiated cooperation negotiations with three South Korean AI semiconductor fabless companies, including Movilin and HyperAccel. Under the plan, LG will jointly develop at least three AI chips with each partner, focusing on adapting to home appliance and IoT scenarios. These chips will serve as the core "brain" of "AI home appliances", supporting customized functions based on user habits and real-time environments. AI home appliances have become the competitive focus of the global home appliance market, directly determining enterprises' right to speak in the high-end market.
Within LG, these new chips are expected to "revitalize the competitiveness of robotic vacuum cleaners". Although South Korean enterprises still hold high-end advantages in traditional white goods such as refrigerators and washing machines, the robotic vacuum cleaner market has been reshaped by Chinese enterprises—Roborock topped the global market with a 21.8% share in the first half of this year, far exceeding Samsung and LG Electronics in the domestic market. LG aims to inject more accurate navigation and smarter cleaning planning capabilities into its robotic vacuum cleaners through customized AI chips to achieve a market breakthrough.
The alliance's layout also extends from home appliances to the cutting-edge track of humanoid robots, among which the cooperation between LG and Movilin has taken the lead. The performance requirements of humanoid robot chips are much higher than those of home appliance chips—they not only need to stably run the basic models that control the robot's movement but also process multiple types of complex data in real-time. LG initially planned to focus only on the home appliance field but finally decided to expand to the humanoid robot track, precisely because it recognizes that the global competition in this field has entered a fierce stage, and early layout is the key to gaining the initiative.
ICgoodFind Summary: Forming alliances to strengthen chip capabilities is LG's key breakthrough battle, and whether it can narrow the gap with Chinese enterprises deserves attention.
