On is doubling down on its LightSpray technology with the opening of its second robot production facility worldwide near Busan, South Korea.
Following the opening of the Swiss athletic company’s first facility with four robots in Zurich in July 2025, the new South Korea factory adds another 32 fully automated robots set to increase the brand’s global LightSpray production capacity 30-fold in 2026.
The expansion marks a significant step for the brand in scaling the technology globally, with further production growth planned over the coming years, On noted.
“The opening of our second LightSpray factory is a monumental milestone for us in mastering this advanced manufacturing process,” Caspar Coppetti, co-founder of On, said in a statement. “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.”
Since introducing LightSpray in 2024, On said that it has been building the operational framework for automated shoe production from the ground up. What began as a four-year development journey, followed by the opening of On’s first factory, has now advanced significantly in scalable manufacturing. With no existing blueprint for scaling robot-sprayed footwear uppers, the approach involved developing the systems to coordinate multiple robots simultaneously and establishing quality protocols for automated production.
Inside On’s new LightSpray factory in Busan, South Korea.
Courtesy of On
As for why the company chose South Korea for this project, executives noted that the country’s position as a global leader 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 company stated.
This is all part of On’s strategic goal to achieve large-scale global production through LightSpray factories at nearshore locations worldwide within the next years. Specifically, the company plans to initiate production in the Americas and large-scale production across Europe.
Inside On’s new LightSpray factory in Busan, South Korea.
Courtesy of On
Scott Maguire, chief innovation officer at On, added that “the beauty of LightSpray” is that the company can precisely program each robot, whether in Zurich or Busan, to execute “precisely choreographed movements” to craft each shoe’s unique look and feel.
“The innovation remains distinctly On, distinctly Swiss – made for the world,” Maguire said. “South Korea represents the perfect territory to learn and implement learnings for our global expansion.”
On’s newest facility coincides with the introduction of the LightSpray Cloudmonster 3 Hyper – the first shoe upper sprayed at the new factory. The shoe debuts with a limited release at On.com and in On retail stores in North America on March 5, with a full global launch on April 16.
The technology’s expansion from racing to run training shoes reflects On’s product strategy to make LightSpray available to a broader audience beyond elite athletes. As production scales, On plans to explore LightSpray applications in other categories, alongside new drops in 2026.
Inside On’s new LightSpray factory in Busan, South Korea.
Courtesy of On
