Samsung Electronics shares rose after the company said Tuesday it is creating a robotics division as the South Korean tech giant seeks new sources of growth. The newly created RX, or Robotics eXperience, will consolidate Samsung's robotics capabilities and is intended to drive a mid- to long-term strategy from core tech development to commercialization, the company said in an emailed statement. CEO TM Roh will oversee the division directly.

Samsung rose 6.76%, while the benchmark Kospi index was up about 4%. Creation of the entity highlights a push into physical AI. Earlier this month, Roh said at a public briefing in Jinju that Samsung Electronics plans to invest around 60 trillion won ($40.7 billion) in the Yeongnam region, which includes its Gumi site.

That's after Samsung in late 2024 raised its stake in local firm Rainbow Robotics to become the largest shareholder. Of the total, 19 trillion won will be designated for Gumi, in partnership with Samsung SDS, to develop physical AI infrastructure and humanoid robot manufacturing facilities. The new unit will look to establish research bases in the U.S., China, and Japan.