When Physical AI meets decades of expertise in gripping and automation technology, new capabilities emerge: systems become more adaptive, processes more robust, and robots increasingly operate autonomously. This allows central challenges in production to be better managed – from skilled labor shortages to rising costs and complex, variable handling tasks that push traditional automation to its limits. To simplify the entry for companies, SCHUNK collaborates closely with partners from consulting, technology, and research. This collaborative approach bundles expertise and creates practical, quickly implementable efficiency levers – for more productivity, higher speed in implementation, and greater resilience in operations.
Physical AI in Application – Collaboration with BCG
As part of the Hannover Messe, SCHUNK and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) announced a strategic collaboration to accelerate the introduction of Physical AI in manufacturing. The goal is to bring AI-driven robotics faster from simulation to real production environments. Together, both partners aim to support customers in identifying impactful automation opportunities, developing feasibility studies, and scaling industrial solutions. BCG contributes experience in AI, digital transformation, and processes, while SCHUNK brings its expertise in automation and industrial applications.
Simulation as a Starting Point – Collaboration with EY, NVIDIA, and Wandelbots
With EY, NVIDIA, and Wandelbots, SCHUNK collaborates to scale Physical AI for European SMEs using NVIDIA technology. The core is the modular SCHUNK GROW automation cell as a standardized production unit for handling, assembly, and inspection. By integrating the NVIDIA Omniverse Libraries and the open NVIDIA Isaac simulation framework, the cell can be virtually modeled, trained, and validated with its robot movements, gripping processes, and complete workflows – reducing risks, shortening commissioning times, and stabilizing process starts.
Wandelbots brings the NOVA platform for software-defined robot control and data integration; EY is responsible for the operating model and go-to-market.
Connected Manufacturing – Collaboration with STACKIT, Cybus, and Next Level Mittelstand
Together with STACKIT, the cloud provider of Schwarz Digits, Cybus, and with support from Next Level Mittelstand, SCHUNK provided an outlook on a scalable smart factory solution for SMEs. The focus was on the AI-driven GROW automation cell, which represents a complete production step: components are supplied via a palletizing module, handled by a robot with a gripper, and then precisely labeled by laser. In a visualization, several GROW cells grew into a 'Smart Micro Factory'.
The open system can be seamlessly integrated into other automation cells or third-party systems, making sovereign, rapidly scalable smart factory scenarios practically experienceable for SMEs.
Technology Transfer in Humanoid Robotics – Collaboration with DLR
SCHUNK signed a licensing agreement with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) at the Hannover Messe for robot hand technologies developed in the 'SmartHand' project. Based on DLR technology, SCHUNK is further developing its modular humanoid robot hands, particularly to enhance fine motor skills for industrial applications. With this cooperation, both parties are building on nearly 20 years of close collaboration and aim to combine mechanical expertise with modern robotics research and AI to solve demanding automation tasks in a practical manner.
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