On Holding has significantly expanded its LightSpray robotics technology, with the opening of its second robot production facility worldwide near Busan, South Korea.
Following the opening of On’s first facility in Zurich with four robots in July 2025, the new South Korea factory adds 32 fully automated robots, which the company said it “will use to increase the brand’s global LightSpray production capacity 30-fold in 2026.”
The factory “will inform On’s broader global rollout of LightSpray, which employs a robotic arm that sprays 1.5 kilometers of specialized filament onto a last, creating an ultra-light, one-piece upper in around three minutes,” the company continued in a media release.
On noted that its strategic goal is to “achieve large-scale global production through LightSpray factories at nearshore locations worldwide within the next few years.” Specifically, the company plans to “initiate production in the Americas and large-scale production across Europe.”
“The opening of our second LightSpray factory is a monumental milestone for us in mastering this advanced manufacturing process,” said On Co-Founder Caspar Coppetti. “I want to sincerely congratulate the tremendous effort and dedication of the entire team who made this possible. LightSpray is a pinnacle example of how On continues to innovate through Swiss engineering, dramatically changing the way we can create high-performance shoes with unmatched efficiency, sustainability and performance results.”
On said South Korea’s strength in robotics and automation, combined with On’s partnerships and footprint in the region, “made it the strategic choice for the second LightSpray facility.” The factory also “demonstrates that the technology and processes developed in Switzerland can be replicated globally while maintaining consistent quality standards.”
“The beauty of LightSpray is that we can precisely program each robot, whether in Zurich or Busan, to execute precisely choreographed movements to craft each shoe’s unique look and feel,” stated On’s Chief Innovation Officer Scott Maguire. “The innovation remains distinctly On, distinctly Swiss — made for the world. South Korea represents the perfect territory to learn and implement learnings for our global expansion.”
The facility’s launch coincides with the introduction of the LightSpray Cloudmonster 3 Hyper, the first shoe upper sprayed at the new factory, scheduled to drop at On retail stores in North America on March 5, with a full global launch on April 16. On also reported plans to explore LightSpray applications in other categories, alongside new drops in 2026.
Image courtesy On Holding
