SINGAPORE, SG / ACCESS Newswire / June 30, 2026 / SK tes, a global leader in sustainable technology lifecycle services, today announced a strategic AI and robotics collaboration supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), reinforcing Singapore's role as a hub for circular economy innovation. The initiative brings together SK tes, EDB, and local automation specialist Aubotic Technology Pte Ltd to co-develop advanced robotic solutions for e-waste processing.
Traditional e-waste recycling is often labor-intensive, requiring manual sorting, inspection, and dismantling of devices. To address these challenges, SK tes initiated a partnership with Aubotic Technology in 2025 to research and deploy automation that improves productivity, enhances safety, and delivers more consistent recovery of valuable materials and components.
The project is supported by grant funding from EDB, reflecting the strategic value of pairing SK tes' global recycling expertise with Singapore-based innovation. By working with a local business to test and scale new automation capabilities, SK tes is demonstrating its continued investment in R&D and future-focused projects that can advance safer, more efficient, and more sustainable e-waste processing.
The collaboration has already delivered measurable operational improvements. By minimizing manual intervention and automating early-stage processing tasks, including the automatic detection of portable batteries that remain in packaging, SK tes has achieved an increase in processing efficiency, while reducing safety risks associated with manual handling. The new process introduces an additional fail-safe to help ensure batteries are not missed, further reducing the risk of thermal events throughout the process.
"Our collaboration with EDB and Aubotic shows how AI and robotics can be applied in real industrial environments to deliver tangible sustainability and operational gains," said Luke Shin, Chief Strategy Officer at SK tes. "By improving consistency and reducing reliance on manual processes, we are building scalable capabilities that benefit our clients and strengthen our global operations."
With EDB's support, SK tes is running pilot projects to refine these advanced automation technologies in Singapore and apply the learnings across its battery recycling facilities. For clients, this translates into more consistent processing outcomes, improved safety, and scalable solutions that support both sustainability targets and operational resilience as volumes of retired technology continue to grow.
About SK tes: Since our formation in 2005, SK tes, a subsidiary of SK ecoplant, has grown to become a global leader in sustainable battery recycling and technology lifecycle services. We provide comprehensive services for battery recycling, extracting scarce materials from used batteries at purity rates high enough that they can be reused in the manufacturing supply chain.
SK tes has over 40 owned facilities across 22 countries offering unmatched service-level consistency, consistent commercials, lower logistics costs, local compliance experts in-region, support in local time zones and languages, and a deep understanding of transboundary movement globally.
For more information about SK tes and global capabilities, please visit our website www.sktes.com.
For press enquiries please contact:
Kristine Kearney, Senior Global Marketing Manager, kristine.kearney@sktes.com
SOURCE: SK tes
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/computers-technology-and-internet/sk-tes-advances-ai-and-robotics-in-e-waste-processing-through-sin-1184565
