Transmission component maker Hiwin Technologies has positioned itself as a key player in Taiwan's humanoid robot supply chain, with its robotics business expected to exceed 10% of group revenue in 2026, according to chairman Eddie Chuo. Additionally, Chuo noted that Hiwin is in contact with all major contract manufacturers aiming to enter the humanoid robot market.
Foxconn is slated to unveil its humanoid robot for the first time during its Technology Day event on November 21-22, 2025, and industry sources indicate Hiwin is part of Foxconn's extensive alliance, though Chuo declined to comment on any specific company. While he confirmed that multiple Taiwanese OEMs interested in humanoid robots have approached Hiwin, he added that progress currently remains at early sample testing stages.
Chuo's cautious remarks suggest that Taiwan's humanoid robot sector will not be dominated solely by Foxconn. According to supply chain insiders, a number of local contract manufacturers have indeed secured orders from US-based humanoid robot companies. Going forward, these OEMs/ODMs will likely pursue dual strategies: launching their own brands on the one hand, while supporting startups with scalable mass production capabilities on the other.
Supply chain recognition
Hiwin was recognized by Morgan Stanley among the global top 100 humanoid robot suppliers, as one of the only four Taiwanese firms listed, alongside TSMC, Foxconn, and Hota. The company supplies critical components such as ball screws, harmonic reducers, and crossed roller bearings for the humanoid robot ecosystem, in addition to leveraging synergies across the corporate group: for example, Hiwin Mikrosystem integrates servo motors and drivers with Hiwin's harmonic reducers to produce joint modules supplied as subsystems or modules to robot makers.
New components for humanoid robots
Chuo also revealed that Hiwin is developing planetary roller screws, which are slated for launch in 2026. These offer high precision, high load capacity, and high rigidity, suitable for heavy industrial machinery and future humanoid robots that require lightweight but strong structures. Although European and American competitors have already brought planetary roller screws to the market, applications have been limited since these cost ten times more than ball screws, a barrier that Hiwin seeks to address.
Hiwin has already entered the supply chain for dexterous hands used by major US humanoid robot clients, with joint module samples currently under evaluation. Despite its US clients recently adjusting mass production plans, Chuo said that scheduled client visits to the company in the second half of 2025 remain unaffected. As a key part for multifunctional humanoid robots, dexterous hands represent massive opportunities, since each degree of freedom at each joint requires one screw, and a pair of hands thus requires dozens of screws.
Additionally, Hiwin has begun collaborating with US startup Dexterity in 2025 to custom-develop an eight-axis logistics warehouse robot, which integrates Dexterity's vision software and autonomous mobile robot (AMR) technologies. Testing is progressing well, with small batch orders of several dozen units expected in early 2026 for trials at large logistics operators, followed by scaled-up testing and new order opportunities.
Semiconductor boom boosts short-term growth
Beyond long-term potential in humanoid robots, Hiwin is eyeing short-term growth from its existing semiconductor-related robotics businesses, including wafer handling robots, wafer transfer systems, and single-axis robots, which benefit from robust capital expenditure expansion in the semiconductor industry. Robotics currently accounts for about 9–10% of Hiwin's total revenue, with expectations to surpass 10% in 2026.
Article edited by Jerry Chen
