How Magazino and Zalando are bringing Industry 4.0 to the warehouse.
Robotics meets Logistics
If you want to revolutionize logistics processes with robots that work side by side with their human colleagues, you need strong and open-minded partners. To that end, Munich-based start-up Magazino is working with some of the world’s leading brands, including Zalando, Europe’s leading online platform for fashion and lifestyle. Magazino builds intelligent robots that understand their complex environment, enabling the company to offer solutions for processes that could not previously be automated, like picking shoe boxes in e-commerce warehouses. For Zalando, this is an opportunity to help employees do a better job, improve customer experience and ultimately drive growth. Frederik Brantner, CEO and co-founder, comments: “Over the past years, we have built the largest Advanced Robotics team in Europe. Convincing top talent to join is not so difficult when you are based in one of the best places to live in the world.”
This is why Bavaria is so good at cross-industry innovation in IoT & Industry 4.0.
Diverse business opportunities
More than 25% of value added of Bavaria’s GDP is derived from manufacturing and the companies responsible for this (who account for this) are already working hard to make Industry 4.0 happen. From improving production processes to managing assets to new business models, business leaders know that tearing down silos and working with new partners is the only way to make the new industrial revolution a reality.
Effective networks
Since 2006, Bavaria’s Cluster Initiative has built state-wide technology networks that bring companies, researchers, government, and independent experts together. There are clusters for a multitude of technologies such as sensor technology, mechatronics, automation, and new materials – all of them key in driving collaborative IoT & Industry 4.0 projects. New regional networks are also evolving.
Access to talent
A range of universities, technical and educational institutions are dedicated to developing the new skills required for IoT & Industry 4.0, including quantum computing, additive manufacturing, and robotics. The Bavarian government is funding the expansion of university faculties, colleges, and training and educational infrastructure through various programmes.
Glocal perspectives
Bavaria has evolved as a global testbed for IoT & Industry 4.0 innovation over the past few years. Major global companies such as IBM and Microsoft have established R&D facilities in Bavaria. Research teams at universities and think tanks collaborate with peer groups located all over the world.
ProGlove
How ProGlove is driving change on the automotive shop floor.
Bavaria is the home of luxury car brands like BMW and Audi. It also happens to be the headquarters of ProGlove, a developer of glove scanners. Bring the two together and you’ve got a winning formula for improving production line efficiency. ProGlove’s glove scanners are the lightest and fastest in the market. Together with its superior analytics platform, these scanners save time and prevent errors during picking, sequencing, assembly and inbound logistics, while at the same time enhancing safety. Having potential customers close by has also given the company a competitive edge. Today, they serve more than 500 customers in over 40 countries and collaborate closely with innovation hubs in Bavaria and around the world.
Concept Laser
How a North Bavarian start-up revolutionised the manufacturing of mission-critical metal parts.
In 2001, the founders of Concept Laser from the North Bavarian town of Lichtenfels presented their first industrial 3D metal printer at the Euromold trade fair in Frankfurt and have never looked back. Today, the company is part of GE Additive and over the past two decades has become a world market leader in manufacturing technology for additive metal. The company has helped revolutionise the manufacturing process for many complex and mission-critical parts in industries such as aerospace, medical technology and automotive. Read this five-minute interview with founder Frank Herzog in which he explains why the company has thrived so well in small-town Bavaria.
Looking for Industry 4.0 network opportunities?
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Laura Schulz, how is supercomputing accelerating cross-industry innovation in IoT and Industry 4.0 in Bavaria?
Leibniz Supercomputing Centre (Leibniz-Rechenzentrum, LRZ) is the IT service provider for all Munich universities as well as a growing number of research organisations throughout Bavaria. LRZ also closely collaborates with industry on various projects.
Laura Schulz is LRZ’s Head of Strategic Development and Partnerships and the Managing Director of the Bavarian AI Agency. We spoke to Laura to learn more about how high-performance computing in Bavaria is not only driving research but also innovation in business. Specifically we talked about how it is supporting cross-industry innovation in the area of IoT & Industry 4.0.
IoT & Industry 4.0
IoT & Industry 4.0
Future in the Making – Discover more hotspots in the Bavarian IoT & Industry 4.0 ecosystem.
See cross-industry innovation in action
All year long we will be reporting on what’s happening in the field of cross-industry innovation in different sectors such as XR and mobility.