PEOPLE WATCH New President of KAR
Dr. Junho Oh, Head of Samsung Electronics’ Future Robotics Office, was appointed as the 12th President of the Korea AI & Robot Industry Association( KAR) on 25 February 2026. Dr. Oh earned his Bachelor’ s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Yonsei University and his Master’ s degree from Yonsei University Graduate School. He later received his Ph. D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.
During his tenure as a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at KAIST, Dr. Oh led the development of Korea’ s first bipedal
Dr. Junho Oh. humanoid robot, HUBO. The groundbreaking achievement earned him the affectionate nickname“ Father of HUBO” and marked a milestone in Korea’ s robotics history.
In 2011, with fellow KAIST researchers, he founded Rainbow Robotics. The company has since become a leading robotics firm, advancing technologies for humanoid biped platforms, quadruped robots and collaborative robots. Following Rainbow Robotics’ incorporation as a subsidiary of
British Steel’ s Early Careers team took part in the‘’ Women into Manufacturing and Engineering”( WiME) event at The Baths Hall in Scunthorpe, UK, on 11 March 2026.
“ With 26 schools attending during the day and a packed auditorium in the evening, it was inspiring to see so many young women and girls excited about the career opportunities waiting for them in our industry,” it said.
Lisa Westfield, Departmental Planning Engineer at Scunthorpe Rail and Section Mill, said:“ When I did my apprenticeship, I was the only girl in a group of 30. There wasn’ t even a toilet or a changing room for me back then. This is why I think it’ s important to spread the word that it’ s not just a man’ s job.”
When asked what advice she would give to young women and girls considering the industry, Lisa said:“ I would say, certainly get out there and have a go; it’ s for everybody and you’ ll really enjoy it. I’ ve always enjoyed my job. I don’ t go to bed on
Samsung Electronics, Dr. Oh has taken on expanded responsibilities as Head of Samsung’ s Future Robotics Office and, as an advisor, spearheading next-generation robotics initiatives. Drawing on decades of accumulated expertise across academia and industry, he is expected to play a strong role in shaping Samsung’ s long-term robotics strategy.
In his inaugural address as KAR President, he pledged to devote his full efforts to positioning Korea as a global leader in the emerging era of“ Physical AI.” He emphasized that KAR exists to serve its members. With membership expanding to approximately 340 companies, the association is entering a critical growth phase. He committed to strengthening collaboration with government bodies, research institutes and related organisations to ensure regulatory reform, policy support, standardisation and international certification frameworks that foster tangible growth for member companies. n
www. korearobot. or. kr
Empowering future women engineers at WiME 2026
a Sunday night thinking,‘ Oh no, I have work tomorrow’. I look forward to coming in every week.”
WiME Chairperson, Kirsty Clode, added:“ We’ ve been running this event for ten years, and we make sure to include women of all ages. You can see the spark light up in the younger girls at these events, because they think only their dad or brother or uncle can do it and once they see a woman doing it, they suddenly think‘ I can do that too’.” n
www. britishsteel. co. uk
Dr. Raymond Wittmann.
Wittmann joins BMW Board of Management
The Supervisory Board of BMW AG has appointed Dr. Raymond Wittmann( 47) as a new member of the Board of Management. He will assume responsibility for Production when Milan Nedeljkovic takes over as Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG at the end of the Annual General Meeting on 13 May 2026.
Dr. Raymond Wittmann has been with the BMW Group since 2015 and has been responsible for Corporate Strategy and Corporate Development since 2024. Previously, he held several management positions in various divisions, including Head of Assembly at the Munich plant, CFO of the Americas sales region and Project Manager for the establishment of the production site in San Luis Potosí( Mexico). Wittmann holds a PhD in aerospace engineering. Before joining the BMW Group, he worked as a partner at an international strategic consultancy.
“ Raymond Wittmann combines strategic thinking with operational excellence and business responsibility. With his broad, cross-divisional experience and international perspective, he has the key qualities for leading the production division,” said Dr. Nicolas Peter, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of BMW AG.
With its four brands( BMW, MINI, Rolls- Royce and BMW Motorrad), the BMW Group is a leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides financial services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in over 140 countries. n
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. bmwgroup. com
12 | ismr. net | ISMR April 2026