VCI Global to Launch Robotics-Enabled Workforce Platform with YOUL to Transform ASEAN’s Blue-Collar Economy

VCI Global Limited (NASDAQ: VCIG) a global technology and capital markets platform, today announced plans to launch a Robotics-Enabled Workforce Platform through a strategic term sheet agreement with Youlife Group Inc. (NASDAQ: YOUL) (“YOUL”).

The initiative represents a significant step in VCI Global’s expansion into robotics-as-infrastructure. The platform is intended to deliver guaranteed productivity through a hybrid human-robot workforce model, offered on a recurring, service-based subscription, rather than through traditional capital equipment sales.

Massive Market Opportunity Across ASEAN and Asia Pacific

The robotics and automation markets across ASEAN and the broader Asia Pacific region are expanding rapidly, driven by labor scarcity, rising wages, and accelerating Industry 4.0 adoption. According to Statista, the ASEAN robotics market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 9.37% from 2025 to 2029, reflecting increasing demand for automation and labor augmentation solutions in industrial applications. By 2029, the market is forecast to exceed US$2.1 billion, representing nearly double-digit growth.

At the global level, the service robots market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 16.5% between 2025 and 2031, reaching approximately US$112.5 billion by 2031, as enterprises increasingly deploy robots to address labor shortages and improve operational efficiency, according to Blue Weave Consulting.

These trends underscore a multi-billion-dollar addressable opportunity for scalable robotics and workforce solutions that enhance productivity, reduce labor risk, and support digital transformation across key industrial sectors.

Addressing Structural Labor Constraints Across ASEAN

ASEAN and emerging markets face persistent structural challenges, including labor shortages, rising minimum wages, increasing compliance costs, dependency on foreign workers, and productivity gaps in labor-intensive industries. The VCIG-YOUL platform addresses these issues by integrating AI-enabled robotics, automation systems, and human supervision into a single