South Korea takes the lead as Pickit 3D’s Asia head office
Pickit 3D has recently chosen South Korea to serve as its Asia head office. In a conversation with our CEO Jean-François Remy, we explore the strategic reasoning behind this decision, the opportunities in the region, and Pickit 3D’s long-term vision for Asia.
What was the rationale behind Pickit 3D headquarters in Belgium designating South Korea as the Asia head office?
Jean-François: “South Korea offers a unique combination of advanced manufacturing industries, highly skilled engineering talent, and strong innovation-driven policies. For us, establishing the Asia head office here is not just about geography - it’s about positioning ourselves where technology and industry converge most effectively. Since starting in 2019, our business in South Korea has shown a clear growth trajectory, with consistent expansion from 2020 through 2024. Over this period, we achieved a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 25%. Notably, between 2022 and 2024, we recorded an average annual growth rate of around +58%, demonstrating strong momentum and validating South Korea as the ideal hub to lead our Asia operations.”
What strategic significance does South Korea hold within the Asian market?
Jean-François: “South Korea has one of the most dynamic and competitive manufacturing sectors in the world, particularly in automotive, electronics, and heavy industry. By being here, Pickit 3D can collaborate closely with global leaders and set benchmarks that can then be replicated across Asia.”
Compared to other countries in the region, why was South Korea chosen as the regional hub?
Jean-François: “South Korea combines world-class infrastructure with a high adoption rate of automation technologies. While countries like Japan or China are important markets, South Korea provides a balance of accessibility, innovation, and openness to international collaboration.”
How do you view the growth potential of automation and robotic vision solutions in the Asian manufacturing market?
Jean-François: “The potential is enormous. With the rising demand for efficiency, increased flexibility, and safety, Asian manufacturers are actively seeking advanced solutions. We believe 3D vision technology will play a pivotal role in enabling the next generation of smart factories.
In what ways can Pickit 3D’s solutions contribute to the competitiveness of the South Korean manufacturing industry?
Jean-François: “Our strength lies in enabling robots to see, pick, and place objects with accuracy and reliability. This is directly linked to reducing labor costs, improving cycle times, and ensuring higher quality in production - key factors for South Korean manufacturers aiming to maintain global leadership.”
How do you plan to leverage South Korea as a hub to expand into neighboring markets such as Japan, Southeast Asia, and Australia?
Jean-François: “By centralizing our regional operations in South Korea, we can provide consistent support, training, and service across Asia. Our strategy is to build strong partnerships with local integrators and distributors in each country, using South Korea as the anchor point for knowledge transfer and customer engagement.”
How does Pickit’s 3D vision technology deliver differentiated value to manufacturing sites in Asia?
Jean-François: “Unlike traditional solutions that require extensive coding or customization, Pickit 3D’s system is intuitive and can be deployed quickly. This reduces downtime and allows manufacturers to scale automation faster while lowering maintenance costs. It’s a game-changer for companies looking to integrate robotics without heavy engineering overhead.”
What role will South Korean engineering talent play in collaboration and technology development?
Jean-François: “South Korea’s engineering workforce is among the best in the world. By working closely with local talent, we aim to accelerate development cycles, adapt our solutions to specific industry needs, and create innovations that can be exported to other markets.”
From the perspective of AI and robotics convergence, what innovation potential do you see in Asia, and particularly in South Korea?
Jean-François: “Asia is at the forefront of AI adoption, and South Korea is leading the way in integrating AI with robotics. This convergence opens doors to entirely new applications, from predictive quality control to fully autonomous production cells. We see South Korea as a testing ground for the future of manufacturing automation.”
How do you envision Pickit South Korea’s role as the Asia head office in the next five years?
Jean-François: “We expect Pickit South Korea to become the nerve center for our Asia-Pacific operations - responsible not only for sales and support but also for R&D collaboration and innovation leadership in the region.”
Ultimately, what are Pickit 3D’s goals for the Asian region?
Jean-François: “Our goal is to empower manufacturers to adopt smart automation faster, easier, and more cost-effectively. We want to be the trusted partner for companies across Asia as they transition into Industry 4.0 by providing a powerful, reliable and flexible platform for their automation challenges.”
Beyond South Korea, what role do you expect Pickit 3D to play in the broader Asian automation market?
Jean-François: “We aspire to be a key enabler of Asia’s transformation into a global hub of smart manufacturing. South Korea is our starting point, but our vision is pan-Asian: to bring the benefits of 3D vision automation to every corner of the region.”
With South Korea as its Asia head office, Pickit 3D is not just expanding geographically - it is making a bold statement about the future of manufacturing in the region. By combining European innovation with Asian industrial strength, Pickit 3D is positioning itself to lead the next wave of automation.
