ABB Robotics confirmed to The Robot Report that China's Office of the Working Mechanism for Foreign Investment Security Review has blocked SoftBank Group Corp.'s planned acquisition of ABB Robotics. Regulators expressed concern that data used for training artificial intelligence models could be transferred overseas. The Zurich-based company, which is already a significant manufacturer and provider of robotics in China, stated that it and SoftBank are "in close dialogue and are working constructively on the transaction."
Parent company ABB had agreed in October 2025 to sell its robotics division to Japan-based SoftBank Group Corp. for $5.3 billion. ABB Robotics, whose U.S. headquarters are in Auburn Hills, Mich., has installed more than 500,000 robots around the world and employs about 7,000 people. The company's integrated portfolio spans industrial automation, software, force- and power-limited cobots, and autonomous mobile robots.
Industry analysts noted that robotics data has become an increasingly strategic priority. Ash Sharma, managing director of Interact Analysis, stated that industrial robotics is being viewed as strategically important technology at the intersection of automation, data, and AI, adding that separating the Chinese operation from a global transaction would be extremely challenging. Financial Times reporter Zijing Wu reported that China's National Development and Reform Commission had concerns that robotics data transferred abroad could be used to train AI models, including those developed by OpenAI, in which SoftBank is a major investor.
Ahmed Humayun, head of go to market for defense manufacturing at Gecko Robotics, noted that the decision reflects Chinese concerns regarding asset transfers to Japan during heightened tensions, as well as data leaving the country to train foundation models. Business development advisor Robert Little pointed out that ABB faces mounting competition and pricing pressure from heavily subsidized Chinese robot makers, though he noted negotiations may still find a path forward.
