SKF will hold a 60% stake in the venture, which targets high-precision transmission components for industrial humanoids and is expected to become operational at the end of 2026.
SKF and Leaderdrive have signed an agreement to establish a venture in China to develop and supply high-precision transmission components for robot joints, marking SKF’s entry into the robotics industry with a focus on industrial humanoids powered by Embodied AI. SKF will own 60% of the venture, aligning the investment with its strategy to expand in high-growth industrial segments. The partners said the business will combine Leaderdrive’s automation and humanoid robotics application know-how with SKF’s bearing technology, scalable manufacturing and global supply chains to speed time to market and prepare for volume production. Based in China, the venture is intended to operate close to suppliers and customers in what the companies described as the world’s largest and fastest-growing humanoid robotics market, while also using SKF’s global sales network to pursue selected markets in Europe, Japan and the US. The venture is expected to be operational by the end of 2026.