ITM Semiconductor develops 80V motor control chip for next-generation robots and drones

ITM Semiconductor has launched development of next-generation motor control technology for robots, drones and other applications, marking a push to expand beyond its core smartphone battery protection circuit business into power control components for robotics, drones and AI devices.

The company announced Monday it has been selected as the lead agency for the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's "Next-Generation SiP Core Technology Development and Reliability Verification Platform" project. It has formally begun work on developing a system-in-package module for 80V high-voltage precision brushless DC motor control, including in-house MOSFET development.

The project aims to deliver ultra-compact, highly integrated and energy-efficient motor control systems for robots, drones, automated equipment and next-generation mobility platforms. The research period runs from April 2026 through December 2028, with ITM Semiconductor serving as lead agency alongside multiple academic and industry research partners.

A brushless DC, or BLDC, motor is a direct-current motor that controls rotation electronically without brushes, offering low friction, low noise and high efficiency. These characteristics make BLDC motors well suited for robot joints, drone propulsion systems and industrial automation equipment. As the markets for robots and drones grow, so does the importance of power semiconductor and packaging technologies capable of controlling motors with greater precision in smaller form factors.

Rather than mounting discrete components on a conventional printed circuit board, ITM Semiconductor's approach integrates key parts — including a microcontroller unit and a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor, or MOSFET — into a single package. The MCU acts as a small computer that determines and controls motor movement, while the MOSFET functions as a power switch that turns current on and off or regulates it. Combining them in a single SiP reduces product size and cuts power loss.

ITM Semiconductor is also pursuing in-house development of the MOSFET, a core power semiconductor. The company aims to build a motor control platform for robots and drones by bringing system design, packaging and power control capabilities together under one roof. It believes that mastering high-performance motor control technology stable enough to operate in high-voltage environments will position it to meet future demand in the global robotics and drone markets.

ITM Semiconductor was founded as a specialist in secondary battery protection circuits. The company has expanded from production bases in South Korea, Vietnam and Indonesia into smartphones, wearables, e-cigarettes, battery packs, sensors and automotive electronics. According to corporate data provider WiseReport, the company's consolidated sales in the first quarter of 2026 fell 4.3 percent year-on-year, though its operating loss and net loss narrowed by 14.3 percent and 66.1 percent, respectively.

The company has recently been accelerating its push into new businesses alongside efforts to improve profitability. In March, ITM Semiconductor signed an MOU with AI solutions firm AimFuture to begin developing AI-based smart battery and smart motor actuator technology. Earlier this month, it also announced plans to join a Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy project on battery thermal runaway delay technology, with the aim of broadening its reach into electric mobility, energy storage systems, defense and robotics.

The latest project is expected to serve as a springboard for ITM Semiconductor to extend its battery protection circuit and packaging expertise into motor control, allowing the company to move beyond its smartphone-centric business model and into power control modules for robot joints, drone drives and automated equipment.

"This project is an important opportunity not only to advance our motor control technology but also to sharpen our competitiveness in power semiconductors and advanced packaging," said Na Hyeok-hwi, chief executive of ITM Semiconductor. "We will continue to build out our technology for robots, drones and AI devices as a sustained engine of future growth."