These developments not only demonstrate the capabilities of humanoids but also explore their integration into logistics, customer service, and facility inspections. Furthermore, they are supported by public institutions and European programs committed to the continent's technological sovereignty. Below, we review the most significant milestones in this technological race.
Zaragoza hosts Spain's first Humanoid Robotics Training Center
Zaragoza has become the epicenter of humanoid robotics in Spain with the launch of the first Humanoid Robotics Training Center (CERH). Developed by Grupo UB at its facilities in the PLAZA Logistics Platform, the center is designed as a high-tech complex where the most advanced humanoid robots on the market are programmed, trained, and adapted to the needs of each client.
The Vice President and Minister of the Presidency, Justice, and Culture of the Government of Aragon, Mar Vaquero, visited the facilities accompanied by the President of Grupo UB, Jesús Urbano; the CEO of Tekio Robotics, Pilar Escanero; and the Sales Director of AGIBOT in Europe, Simi Wang, among other authorities. During the tour, attendees were able to see how the robots from the Tekio Robotics X, A, D, G, and C series, manufactured by AGIBOT, are already being trained to overcome obstacles, perform inspection tasks, hold conversations with humans, serve customers in stores, prepare orders, and carry out cleaning and entertainment tasks.
During the visit, a collaboration protocol was signed whereby Tekio Robotics, a UB Group company specializing in humanoid robotics and intelligent interaction, becomes the master distributor for Spain, Portugal and Africa of AGIBOT , considered the world's leading manufacturer of humanoid robots with real interaction.
Jesús Urbano emphasized that the opening of this center puts Aragon on the world map for the design and custom computing of humanoid robots, and stressed that they are not intended to replace people , but rather to make their lives easier by performing tasks best suited to machines with a high technological component. For her part, Simi Wang described the inauguration as a milestone in the expansion of intelligent robotics and AI solutions in the Spanish market. Mar Vaquero reminded everyone that technology needs human direction and leadership.
Hube, the Galician project to bring humanoids to internal logistics
In Galicia, the Automotive Technology Center (CTAG) and the companies Benteler Automotive and Nort3D, both based in the Vigo area, have launched Hube, a collaborative R&D initiative to develop and validate humanoid robotics solutions for internal logistics . The project, entitled "Humanoids for Internal Logistics with Functional Bio-Inspiration, Artificial Intelligence, and Experimental Validation," is supported by the Industria Innova 2026 call for proposals, subsidized by the Galician Institute for Economic Promotion (Igape) of the Galician Regional Government (Xunta) and co-financed by the European Union within the Galician Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 2021-2027 Program.
Initial use cases considered include handling and moving boxes of components , feeding assembly stations, unloading logistics carts, and placing materials on shelves that supply production lines. The interaction of humanoids with autonomous mobile vehicles and the adaptation of certain elements of the industrial environment to their operational capabilities will also be studied.
Hube's presentation took place at an event held at the CTAG headquarters in O Porriño, where the progress of Smart SCM was also presented. Smart SCM is a project led by Benteler Automotive Vigo with the participation of Exla Packaging Solutions and CTAG. Smart SCM aims to develop an intelligent system to manage and control logistics processes throughout the value chain, using a digital logistics twin and real-time monitoring of equipment and intralogistics equipment movements. This approach improves material traceability, visualizes internal flows, controls operating costs, and optimizes the movement and storage of raw materials, packaging, and finished products.
Attendees visited the Haaro Lab, CTAG's Humanoid and Advanced Robotics Laboratory, where the center's capabilities in humanoid robotics, artificial intelligence, and digital twins were showcased. This laboratory forms the core of the center's research and development efforts to accelerate the technological maturity of humanoids and facilitate their effective integration into the real world. Haaro serves as a development, training, and validation environment for robotic systems in virtual and real-world scenarios, addressing key aspects such as physical safety, interoperability, cybersecurity, and human-robot collaboration.
Support ecosystem and pending challenges
The push for humanoid robotics in Spain is not limited to specific projects. At the European level, the AI ​​and Robotics Community of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) has launched its first call for applications, the AI ​​Entrepreneur Lab, aimed at new European founders of artificial intelligence and robotics. The initiative anticipates a second call, FactoryX, which will open in the fall of 2026. The program seeks to support startups from the idea stage to scalability , with the goal of strengthening European competitiveness in cutting-edge and applied AI.
The community, led by 28DIGITAL, brings together EIT Food, EIT Health, and EIT Culture and Creativity to support the commercialization of innovations in areas such as health, manufacturing, food systems, biotechnology, and robotics. By 2028, it has set goals to launch 14 innovations, support more than 10 high-potential scale-ups , and help participating companies mobilize over €80 million in investment.
In the healthcare sector, pediatric robotic surgery is also expanding in Spain. Last July, the Quirónsalud Pozuelo University Hospital performed the first two pediatric robotic surgeries in a private hospital in Spain, on two children aged 7 and 13. Surgeon Carlos Delgado de Miguel explained that the robot provides an enhanced three-dimensional view, eliminates physiological tremor , and allows for highly precise movements thanks to articulated instruments. This is especially useful in pediatric patients, where space is limited and structures are delicate.
Although robotic surgery doesn't make a complex operation simpler, it does allow for complex procedures to be performed using a minimally invasive approach, with smaller incisions, less postoperative pain , and potentially a faster recovery. The main challenge, according to Delgado, is adapting technology initially developed for adults to much smaller patients.
Training and competition: young talent is also looking to robotics
Robotics is also present in the educational and competitive spheres. Four students from the Hermógenes RodrÃguez High School in Herencia (Ciudad Real) will represent Spain in the international final of the World Robot Olympiad, to be held in Puerto Rico from December 8th to 10th. The team is made up of Natalia Gómez-Calcerrada and Miguel Gómez-Calcerrada, from Herencia, and RocÃo Galán Flores and Guillermo Morales, from Villarta de San Juan, all first-year high school students and coached by their teacher, Francisco Javier Talavera.
The students secured their qualification after winning the final intercampus phase of the 6th Intercampus Robotics Competition of the University of Castilla-La Mancha, held in June in Ciudad Real, and achieving second place in the national phase held in Andorra, where around 90 teams from all over Spain participated. The winning team's withdrawal from the world championship has placed the IES Hermógenes RodrÃguez team as Spain's representative at the international event.
In the Future Engineers category, participants must develop an autonomous robot capable of navigating a course using computer vision, detecting and avoiding obstacles, orienting itself without human intervention , and parking correctly. This challenge combines design, construction, programming, computer vision perception, and autonomous navigation.
Humanoid robotics and other advanced robotic applications are progressing in Spain with projects such as the training center in Zaragoza, logistics development in Galicia, European support for startups, pediatric surgery, and the World Olympiad's talent pool. All these initiatives share a common goal: to transform research into real solutions for industry and society, always with human supervision and leadership as the guiding principle. The remaining challenge is to scale these technologies, adapt them to each context, and ensure their implementation is safe and beneficial for everyone.
