Chinese humanoid maker UBTECH Robotics has made its Balkans debut, signing Slovenian engineering firm Hiproject as its exclusive distributor for the Walker series across five countries and rolling its Walker C1 onto the show floor at the 58th MOS Trade Fair in Celje. The announcement, disclosed on 18 September 2026, extends UBTECH's European push beyond its earlier BYD, NIO and Geely deployments in China and Volkswagen line-side pilots in Germany.
What Was Announced In Celje
The exclusive-distribution agreement covers Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and North Macedonia. Under the deal, Hiproject will handle application development, integration services, customer training and technical support for the Walker family — a stack of responsibilities that mirrors the "local integrator" model Chinese humanoid vendors have leaned on to enter regulated European markets. At the fair, Walker C1 walked out of its transport case autonomously and performed a short dance routine, while UBTECH's Cruzr S2 service robot took part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony alongside Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša.
Why The Deal Matters
UBTECH ended 2025 as the largest revenue line among Chinese humanoid vendors, shipping 1,079 full-size Walker units, and launched its UWORLD U1 consumer humanoid in June 2026. But its overseas footprint has lagged domestic wins: named local partners are the standard route into markets with heavy CE-marking, workplace-safety and labour-law overhead. Hiproject — which describes itself as an "Industry 5.0" specialist bridging heat-treatment, industrial automation and humanoid robotics — brings the machine-safety and integration credentials UBTECH needs for those first pilots.
Context
The move lands the same week Chinese humanoid producers dominated headlines from Dongfeng's Xiaodong trial-production pledge to Unitree's discounted G1+ launch. Hiproject and UBTECH have not disclosed shipment targets, unit pricing or contract value; Balkan customer pilots will begin under Hiproject's guidance in the coming quarters.
Reporting based on coverage from Humanoids Daily and UBTECH Robotics.