# South Korea Launches Robot Foundation Model R&D

South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT announced plans to initiate a large-scale research and development project starting in 2027 focused on robot foundation models (RFM) and world models to accelerate physical AI technology. This initiative aims to integrate AI model development, data accumulation, and on-site application simultaneously, targeting early adoption in sectors such as mail and logistics. The government emphasizes the urgency of advancing physical AI capabilities within a three-year window to maintain global competitiveness.

- The Ministry of Science and ICT leads this federal-level R&D effort based in Seoul, signaling significant government investment in AI-driven robotics.
- Procurement professionals should anticipate upcoming solicitations or contracts related to AI model development, robotics integration, and data infrastructure supporting physical AI applications.
- Technology providers specializing in robotics, AI foundational models, and logistics automation may find new partnership and contracting opportunities with South Korean government agencies.
- This initiative reflects a strategic national priority to accelerate physical AI adoption, indicating potential for multi-year funding and collaborative projects involving both public and private sectors.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Information Technology
**Topics:** Artificial Intelligence
**Published:** September 22, 2026

### Government Entities
- Ministry of Science and ICT
- Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy
- Office of Government Policy Coordination
- Ministry of SMEs and Startups

### Vendors
- ALM Ventures (event host)
- RealWorld (technology partner)
- Nvidia ()
- Qualcomm ()
- Unitree ()

### Sources
- [Korea to begin robot foundation model development next year amid 3-year physical AI window warning](https://www.digitaltoday.co.kr/en/view/106515/korea-to-begin-robot-foundation-model-development-next-year-amid-3-year-physical-ai-window-warning) - 디지털투데이