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The BEUMER Group has established a strategic innovation partnership with the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML. This cooperation, which is set to last until the end of 2025, focuses on the development of mobile robots within a three-year joint „Enterprise Lab.“ The goal of this collaboration is to advance development projects in the field of mobile robotics and to gain a technological edge in automated logistics solutions.
Research and Development in Close Proximity
In the Enterprise Lab, scientists from Fraunhofer IML and experts from BEUMER Group will work together on a scalable platform for mobile robotics. The cooperation takes place at the Fraunhofer IML location in Dortmund, which is in close proximity to the BEUMER site. Fraunhofer IML not only provides the expertise of its scientists but also the necessary research infrastructure, including testing areas. This close collaboration between industry and academia allows BEUMER to gain direct access to current research results, while the researchers from Fraunhofer IML work alongside BEUMER to bring specific developments to market readiness.
For the next three years, Fraunhofer IML will provide five full-time positions for the joint research project. The teams of BEUMER developers and researchers are to develop a robust platform for mobile robots.
Technological Basis for Various Applications
Volker Jungbluth, Chief Technology Officer of the BEUMER Group, emphasizes the advantages of the Enterprise Lab: „Instead of setting up an isolated island lab, we are using the Fraunhofer Enterprise Lab as a proven format to directly integrate external top research into our product development.“ He highlights that mobile robotics complements the product and system portfolio in the core areas of „Conveying and Sorting“ and offers technological as well as economic benefits.
Prof. Alice Kirchheim, head of the Fraunhofer IML, also expresses positive sentiments about the partnership: „We are pleased to elevate our long-standing partnership to a new level of joint top research with the Enterprise Lab.“ She emphasizes that both sides will benefit from the collaboration and the exchange between practice and application-oriented research.
The planned platform will rely on standardized onboard controllers, sensors, localization, and fleet management to leverage synergies and minimize development efforts. A clearly defined development roadmap will ensure that new technologies can be integrated into pilot projects and product improvements at BEUMER in a timely manner.
A Proven Cooperation Model
With the Enterprise Lab, BEUMER joins a tested cooperation model of Fraunhofer IML, which has already been successfully implemented with eleven other companies. These labs promote the close integration of science and industry and are considered catalysts for practical innovations.
The partnership with Fraunhofer IML underscores the BEUMER Group’s commitment to systematically and collaboratively drive innovations forward. As a family-owned company with a 90-year history, BEUMER focuses on long-term development strategies and collaborations. This partnership complements the existing innovation culture of the company, which is already exploring new paths with its own startup incubator and acquisitions of digital pioneers.
Both partners are optimistic about the collaboration and expect it to set new standards in intralogistics and further enhance the competitiveness of the BEUMER Group.
