SHABAC, Serbia – Chinese auto-parts manufacturer Minth Group has opened an assembly line for AgiBot humanoid robots at its existing factory in Šabac, Serbia, in a first phase that Serbian authorities value at 20 million euros. 

The Development Agency of Serbia presented the facility as Europe’s first site for mass production of humanoid robots. Public information released so far, however, documents one serialized unit and provides no current production rate, completed-unit count or customer orders. 

The Serbian government said President Aleksandar Vučić and Minth founder Qin Ronghua placed a serial number on the first robot assembled at the facility during the recently held opening ceremony. 

The official statement from the government also maintained a key difference. Vučić stated that he wished the factory would be able to assemble more than 5,000 robots a year initially, followed by production in the future.  

This wording suggests that what is envisaged is an assembly process rather than localization. 

According to the agency, Minth plans a second, significantly larger stage of development through a robotics industrial park in Inđija worth 200 million euros. 

Its projected capacity of as many as 20,000 humanoid robots and robot dogs a year applies only after that broader project is completed. Construction and production at that scale have not been established. 

The division of work also remains largely Chinese. Minth described itself in February as AgiBot’s value-added distributor for Europe, responsible for sales, delivery, service and localized manufacturing. AgiBot supplies robotic platforms and underlying technology. 

Neither company has released a bill of materials, the percentage of Serbian-made components, the location of software development or the number and type of jobs created specifically by the robotics operation.  

Serbia has separately subsidized Minth’s automotive expansion. SeeNews reported, citing Economy Ministry contracts, that Minth Metal Parts Balkan was awarded 11.6 million euros for a decorative automotive-parts plant in Šabac and 220 jobs. That agreement doesn't guarantee any financial help from the government towards manufacturing the robotic line. 

Factory announcements never mentioned any confirmed orders of robots along with details regarding customers, deliveries, and target markets yet. Everything else was announced except for details on the commencement of production.