Ajinextek: Korea’s Leading Motion Control Technology

Korea has become renowned for innovation in robotics and high-tech manufacturing. Given the challenges SMEs face in breaking into international markets dominated by legacy players, what are your thoughts on their chances for global expansion?

Korea has indeed emerged as a manufacturing powerhouse, and this transformation is deeply rooted in our ability to learn from others. Historically, we benchmarked Japan, adopting and localizing their best practices. Over time, we began to surpass Japan in several areas, even capturing some of its past glory. As a result, China began benchmarking Korea, just as we had once done with Japan. This created a cycle: Japan’s strengths were adopted by Korea, and Korea’s strengths, in turn, were adopted by China.

For about 20 years, Korean SMEs operated under the protective umbrella of our major conglomerates. This provided a relatively low-risk environment where simply supplying components to domestic giants ensured stability. During that time, even as China industrialized rapidly, it still had to purchase Korean equipment and parts due to its dependency on our established ecosystem.

However, the global landscape has changed. China now manufactures its own equipment and parts, and Korean SMEs are beginning to feel the pressure. In this new reality, we must adapt by benchmarking the next generation of rising economies, turning our eyes to the next rising markets. As China once followed Korea, these countries are now following China. It’s a natural industrial progression.

Korean companies must ride this cycle and look toward Vietnam and India as the next growth frontiers. Just as Korea once rose by learning from Japan, we now need to strategically engage with countries further down the development curve.

Your company, Ajinextek, has been a pioneer in motion control for nearly three decades. Can you tell us about its unique strengths and how it has evolved?

When we founded Ajinextek in 1995, there were no Korean companies specializing in motion control. The concept itself was unfamiliar—even internet searches yielded no results in Korean. We saw the gap and began developing motion control chips, completing our first chip by 1998. Interestingly, NVIDIA released its first graphic chip in 1995. While NVIDIA focused on visual rendering, we focused on precision motion for industrial equipment.

Motion control requires extremely high-speed and precise calculations, which standard PCs couldn’t handle effectively at the time. That’s why we developed dedicated chips. Our core strength lies in this capability—designing chips and algorithms tailored for motion.

Another key asset is Korea itself. It serves as a global testbed for technology. If a product can meet the demanding standards of companies like Samsung, and other Korean big tech firms, it can likely perform anywhere in the world. That’s why even companies from countries like Israel or Switzerland seek to validate their innovations here.

Despite being a startup then, we navigated this tough environment and succeeded. Today, our controllers are used in a wide array of high-speed manufacturing equipment across sectors like semiconductors, displays, smartphones, and automotive.

We also possess extensive software capabilities, including user-friendly APIs and functional libraries, making it easy for engineers to harness our hardware. We’ve also invested in our own manufacturing facilities in Gumi, giving us greater control over quality and production.

How does Ajinextek plan to expand globally, especially in the face of rising protectionism and geopolitical tensions?

In today’s world, money knows no borders. Despite language and cultural barriers, companies will always seek the most efficient and competitive partners. That’s the reality.

We are open to collaboration with companies that offer comparative or absolute advantages, even if they are potential competitors. In some areas—like robotics hardware and body mechanics—Chinese companies excel, so it makes sense to work with them where beneficial. Meanwhile, we continue to focus on our strengths, such as motion control and software.

In Vietnam, for instance, we’ve stationed executives to collaborate with local partners and develop talent. Vietnamese engineers are known for their strong math and coding skills, and our goal is to tap into that. This isn’t optional—it’s a necessity in today’s competitive environment.

With Ajinextek operating at the intersection of hardware and software, which technologies will drive your next phase of growth?

The future lies in combining robust hardware with intelligent software. Companies in countries that are catching up to Korea will likely excel at hardware manufacturing. Therefore, our focus is to overlay that hardware with software that enhances usability and efficiency.

We’ve launched four proprietary software platforms—EZ Manager, EZ Roll, EZ Works, and EZ Emulator—that allow even less-experienced engineers to make full use of our controllers. These platforms reduce development time and lower costs, a key competitive advantage.

Previously, we developed software mainly to support hardware sales. Now, we view software as a core business. We’re monetizing it directly, a significant shift from the past when it was offered for free. This is a strategic pivot for us.

We also continue to pursue ODM (original design manufacturing) partnerships, especially for large clients like ASM and Apple. Meanwhile, for SMEs, we offer general motion control (GMC) solutions based on our new software platforms. This dual strategy allows us to address both ends of the market.

Can you tell us more about your new IPC series and its significance?

Earlier this year, we launched the IPC series with a strong market reception. Its key feature is cycle time—the time it takes to control motion across multiple axes. Our IPC achieves 125 microseconds across 8 axes, which is top-tier performance comparable to global leaders like Israel’s ACS Motion Control. Yet we offer this at 70% of the price.

Ease of use is also a major focus. Our EZ software suite ensures that even engineers with limited motion control experience can fully leverage our hardware. This helps reduce both learning curves and deployment times.

Lastly, what is your long-term vision for Ajinextek, and what drives you personally as a business leader?

Professionally, my goal is to continuously increase the company’s value. We are in a transitional period, and it’s critical to stay focused and agile.

Personally, I find balance in writing and spending time in nature. I enjoy poetry and long walks through historic areas like Gyeongju, my hometown. These moments help me reflect and recharge.

In the long run, I envision Ajinextek evolving into a robotics platform company, combining hardware, software, and systems integration. Our ARC-II controller is a key step in that direction. It will allow us to provide comprehensive robotic solutions, enabling clients to adopt automation more easily and effectively.

With a solid foundation in motion control, growing software capabilities, and a global collaboration mindset, we are well-positioned to lead in the next generation of smart manufacturing.