Wandelbots, SCHUNK and EY Join Forces to Scale Physical AI for Europe’s Mittelstand using NVIDIA Technology
Bringing Physical AI from Lighthouse Projects to Mass Adoption in European Manufacturing
Berlin / Stuttgart / Dresden – Wandelbots, SCHUNK and EY today announced a collaboration to accelerate the industrial-scale adoption of Physical AI across Europe’s Mittelstand using NVIDIA technology. By combining standardized automation hardware, software-defined robot control, industrial-grade simulation and a repeatable operating model, the partners aim to unlock the largest untapped Physical AI market globally: small and mid-sized manufacturing companies.
Europe’s Mittelstand represents the backbone of industrial value creation – yet Physical AI adoption has so far been limited. The collaboration addresses this gap with a fundamentally different approach: Automation-as-a-Product, not Automation-as-a-Project.
At the core of the collaboration is the SCHUNK GROW automation cell, which is a modular industrial grade embodiment and the execution layer for Physical AI in real-world production with NVIDIA Omniverse libraries integrated into the simulation, training and validation layer for Physical AI. The platform is designed to integrate with software-defined solutions such as Wandelbots’ NOVA platform – to enable a closed loop between simulation, execution and continuous optimization. The result is a repeatable, software-defined production asset that can be deployed, trained and optimized virtually before being installed on the shopfloor.
“Physical AI does not fail in the midmarket because of technology, but because of a lack of scalability. Our ambition is to turn Physical AI from bespoke engineering projects into an industrial product — standardized, economically viable, and sovereign. Together with SCHUNK, NVIDIA, and Wandelbots we are creating a repeatable architecture that enables Europe’s Mittelstand to deploy Physical AI at speed, with low risk and measurable business impact.” Dr. Adrian Reisch, Partner, EY
By simulating and training robot behavior using NVIDIA Omniverse libraries and transferring it seamlessly into the physical SCHUNK GROW cell, commissioning times can be reduced dramatically while lowering CapEx risk and dependency on system integrators. Standardized use cases such as assembly, handling and inspection can be rolled out across multiple sites with predictable performance and ROI.
"With our GROW automation cell, we are laying the foundation for standardized and scalable production solutions in Europe's Mittelstand. Together with a strong ecosystem we are taking this to the next level: bringing Physical AI directly into manufacturing, sustainably increasing productivity and competitiveness, and preparing companies for the future of industrial production." Timo Gessmann, Chief Technology Officer, SCHUNK
SCHUNK expands from selling automation components and cells to monetizing a scalable Physical AI platform The planned integration of Wandelbots’ NOVA platform introduces a new degree of flexibility and choice at the software layer, enabling seamless data exchange between simulation, business applications and the shopfloor and supporting more adaptive production. EY orchestrates the ecosystem, designs the target operating model, connects Physical AI to business KPIs and industrializes the solution into repeatable go-to-market offerings for the European Mittelstand.
“The future of manufacturing will not be built machine by machine – it will be orchestrated as software. Physical AI only scales when intelligence becomes centralized, execution becomes standardized, and every factory runs on a common operating layer. Together we are industrializing this shift for the Mittelstand, turning automation into a deployable product, not an engineering project.” Katharina Jessa, Chief Revenue Officer, Wandelbots.
The collaboration marks a significant step toward productizing Physical AI for Europe’s industrial backbone and establishing a new reference architecture for SME manufacturing in the age of intelligent, software-defined production.
About EY
EY* is one of Germany’s leading audit and consulting firms. EY is the German market leader in tax consulting. EY employs more than 10,800 people across 18 locations. Together with the approximately 406,000 employees of the international EY organization, EY serves clients all over the world. EY offers both large and medium-sized companies a comprehensive portfolio of services: audit, tax, legal, strategy and transactions, consulting, and real estate advisory.
*In this profile, the name EY refers to all German member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited (EYG), a limited liability company under English law. Each EYG member firm is legally separate and independent and is not liable for the acts or omissions of any other member firm.
For more information, visit www.ey.com.
About Schunk
As a technology pioneer in the fields of clamping technology, gripping technology, and automation technology, SCHUNK has been creating productivity gains for customers and partners in industry with its portfolio of components, engineering expertise, and machines—and has been doing so for over 80 years. To this end, 3,700 employees worldwide work in 10 plants and 34 subsidiaries, together with sales partners in 75 countries.
For more information, visit www.schunk.com.
About Wandelbots
Wandelbots is a Physical AI-focused deep tech company based in Dresden and Chicago that is fundamentally rethinking industrial automation. Its software-centric, vendor-neutral approach simplifies and democratizes the programming of complex industrial robots, making them intuitive to control. Wandelbots helps companies automate faster and reliably scale global operations, while drastically reducing implementation times and costs.