Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 11, 2026
2 min readLast updated: February 11, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleHyundai's robot strategy is under the spotlight as Boston Dynamics CEO resigns, boosting Hyundai's stock and future robot plans.
By Heejin Kim and Jihoon Lee
SEOUL, Feb 11 (Reuters) - Robert Playter, chief executive of Hyundai Motor Group's robot affiliate Boston Dynamics is stepping down, the Waltham, Massachusetts-based company said on its X account.
Shares of Hyundai Motor rallied 5.9% in Seoul trading on Wednesday as the leadership change spurred market expectation that the automaker intends to accelerate commercialisation of its robot business.
"The stock appeared to have risen because of the news about the resignation of the CEO," said James Hong, Seoul-based analyst at Macquarie, adding that Playter's team had been "R&D-oriented" for robot development.
A media report that Boston Dynamics' robot dogs have been deployed to work at a nuclear power plant in Britain also contributed to the stock's gains, a note from Seoul-based Daishin Securities said.
Hyundai Motor Group, which controls Hyundai and Kia, acquired Boston Dynamics in 2021 with a majority stake.
In January, Hyundai said it plans to deploy humanoid robots made by Boston Dynamics at its U.S. manufacturing plant in Georgia.
Kia's shares gained 4.6%.
(Reporting by Heejin Kim and Jihoon LeeEditing by Ed Davies)
Boston Dynamics is a robotics company known for developing advanced robots, including robotic dogs and humanoids, aimed at various industrial applications.
A CEO, or Chief Executive Officer, is the highest-ranking executive in a company, responsible for making major corporate decisions and managing overall operations.
Commercialization is the process of bringing a new product or service to market, ensuring it is available for sale to consumers.
Market reaction refers to how investors respond to news or events that may affect a company's stock price, often reflected in trading activity.
A stock rally is a period during which the price of a stock or a group of stocks rises significantly, often driven by positive news or investor sentiment.
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