Vučić Announces Serbia's First Humanoid Robot Factory Opens in Šabac This Month

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced today that the company "Mint" will begin producing humanoid robots at a factory in Šabac on either August 22 or 29, adding that everything has now been agreed with the investor.

"I'm inviting you to Šabac on August 22 or 29. Finally, everything has been agreed with the investor," Vučić said, describing the new factory as set to be "better" than a similar plant he had previously visited in the Chinese city of Jiaxing. "There will be a miracle in Šabac," he added.

An Ambition to Be First in Europe

This isn't a standalone announcement, but part of a much broader plan Vučić has been previewing for months — Serbia becoming the first European country to produce humanoid robots, with 50 factories planned over the next four years and up to 8,000 jobs in the industry by 2030. The project leans on cooperation with China — 500 Serbians have already gone there for training, and Mint reportedly employs around 2,600 people.

Alongside the robot factories, Vučić has also announced plans for so-called "data factories" — centers where, as he put it, humanoid robots need to "learn from people and remember the way people do," infrastructure he says is necessary for these machines to function in real-world conditions.

Still to Be Seen

The project is undeniably ambitious, and the pace of announcements — with multiple dates and figures floated in recent months — leaves room to wonder how quickly reality will catch up to the promises. Still, if Šabac genuinely becomes home to Europe's first serial production line for humanoid robots, it would be a significant precedent for the region, including for neighbors like Macedonia watching how Serbia's industrial strategy plays out.

MKNews Hub · World · August 17, 2026