Company Site Visits

schedule

24 March 25 March 26 March 27 March 28 March

08.00-13.30

SCHUNK SE & Co. KG and IPAI
more info
(max 45 participants)


08.00-13.00

Robert Bosch GmbH
(max 60 participants)
more info


08.30-13.30

FANUC Deutschland GmbH
more info
and Neura Robotics GmbH
more info
(max 50 participants)


08.30-10.30

Mercedes (Sindelfingen)​
more info (max 25 participants)

12.50-13.50

University of Stuttgart
more info
(max 100 participants)

12.50-13.50

University of Stuttgart
more info
(max 100 participants)


15.30-18.00

Fraunhofer IPA
more info
and ARENA 2036
more info
(max 120 participants)

13.00-18.00

Neura Robotics GmbH
more info
and FANUC Deutschland GmbH
more info
(max 50 participants)

08.00-13.30

SCHUNK SE & Co. KG and IPAI
more info
(max 45 participants)


08.30-10.30

Mercedes (Sindelfingen)​
more info (max 25 participants)

This is a preliminary schedule, subject to change at any time. 

ERF 2025 Organising Secretariat is at your disposal at erf2025.reg@aimgroup.eufor further inquiries.

site visits

Wirtschaftsförderung Region Stuttgart (WRS) is organizing the bus shuttle to the Company Site Visit Tour to FANUC and NEURA (March 24 and March 27).

Stuttgart Region Economic Development Corporation/ Wirtschaftsförderung Region Stuttgart GmbH

Wirtschaftsförderung Region Stuttgart GmbH (WRS) develops regional business and coordinates all of the activities related to this. Its strategic tasks include: marketing the region at a national and international level, acquiring companies, investor services, supporting start-ups, promoting regional technology and innovation networks as well as measures to counteract

the lack of specialist staff. As part of ist work, WRS collaborates constantly with its partners in regional, national and European networks.

For more information visit: wrs.region-stuttgart.de

FANUC is a global automation company with credentials that include 50 years of experience in the development of industrial robots, more than 1 million of which have been delivered to factories worldwide. With more than 260 FANUC locations worldwide and more than 8,000 employees, FANUC offers a dense network in sales, technical support, research & development, logistics and customer service.  

Description of the tour: 

Join us for an engaging and interactive tour that showcases cutting-edge robotics innovation. The programme is divided into three parts: 

  1. Discover FANUC’s Showroom and ARC & Vision Lab: gain exclusive insights into our robotics solutions and see how our technology drives automation excellence. 
  1. Demonstration of the Next-Generation Robot Controller: see our upcoming robot controller in action, featuring cyber security enhancements and Python script support. 
  1. Hands-On Programming with CRX Collaborative Robots: try out our CRX cobots and experience how simple drag-and-drop programming can make automation more accessible. 

Preliminary Program 24 march: 

08.15 – Meeting point at Liederhalle  
08.30 – Departure by bus to FANUC 
09.00 – Arrival at FANUC and starting of the tour 
10.15 – Departure by bus to NEURA 
11.00 – Arrival at NEURA and starting of the tour 
12.15 – Departure by bus to Liederhalle 
13.30 – Arrival at Liederhalle 

Preliminary Program 27 march: 

13.00 – Meeting point at Liederhalle
13.15 – Departure by bus to NEURA in Metzingen
14.00 – Arrival at NEURA and starting of the tour
15.15 – Departure by bus to FANUC in Neuhausen
15.45 – Arrival at FANUC and starting of the tour
17.00 – Departure by bus to Liederhalle (with optional stop at Stuttgart Airport)
18.00 – Arrival at Liederhalle

Note: the program is subject to change without any notice. Further information will follow. 

 

Address: 

FANUC Deutschland GmbH  
Bernhäuser Str. 36  
D – 73765 Neuhausen a. d. F. 

Parking spaces available at the building or in nearby car parking garage. The route to the car park is signed. 

NEURA Robotics was founded in 2019 by David Reger in Metzingen with the aim of closing important innovation gaps in robotics and ushering in the age of cognitive robots. Like a smartphone manufacturer, NEURA Robotics combines all components and sensors as well as artificial intelligence in one device and offers partners a platform for the joint development of apps for a wide range of specialist areas. The resulting and constantly growing Neuraverse offers unrivaled flexibility and cost efficiency in automation and attracts many international market leaders. NEURA Robotics has partnerships with Kawasaki Robotics, Omron Robotics and Safety Technologies Inc. and other leading robotics manufacturers. All the new technological components required for this approach, including the AI, are developed by NEURA Robotics itself. This has made it possible to set new standards in terms of intelligence, precision and safety. NEURA’s cognitive robots can see, hear and have a sense of touch. They act completely autonomously and learn from experience. Today, NEURA is well on the way to launching the first humanoid all-purpose robot on the market. 

Description of the tour: 

The tour will have several stops in Industriestrasse. It will start at the new headquarters with a company overview and an insight into the Neuraverse.  

The tour will then move on to the software, AI, and hardware labs before taking a look at production.  

Finally, individual participants can experience the ease of use of our robots and interact with our humanoid robot.  

Preliminary Program 24 march: 

08.15 – Meeting point at Liederhalle  
08.30 – Departure by bus to FANUC 
09.00 – Arrival at FANUC and starting of the tour 
10.15 – Departure by bus to NEURA 
11.00 – Arrival at NEURA and starting of the tour 
12.15 – Departure by bus to Liederhalle 
13.30 – Arrival at Liederhalle 

Preliminary Program 27 march: 

13.00 – Meeting point at Liederhalle
13.15 – Departure by bus to NEURA in Metzingen
14.00 – Arrival at NEURA and starting of the tour
15.15 – Departure by bus to FANUC in Neuhausen
15.45 – Arrival at FANUC and starting of the tour
17.00 – Departure by bus to Liederhalle (with optional stop at Stuttgart Airport)
18.00 – Arrival at Liederhalle

Note: the program is subject to change without any notice. Further information will follow. 

Address: 

Neura Robotics GmbH 
Industriestr. 33 
72585 Riederich 

SCHUNK – Global technology pioneer for the manufacturing industry

Hand in hand for tomorrow

Shaping the future with innovative technologies – that is the claim of SCHUNK. To this end, the experienced automation and production specialist is pushing the further development and digitalization of its product and service portfolio in order to make industrial processes more efficient, transparent and sustainable. The family-owned company with headquarters in Lauffen/Neckar is a global technology pioneer in the fields of toolholding and workholding, gripping technology and automation technology. Approximately 3,700 employees in 10 plants and 34 directly owned subsidiaries and distribution partners in more than 75 countries throughout the world ensure an intensive market presence.

Description of the tour: 

SCHUNK:

A factory tour at SCHUNK in Brackenheim-Hausen offers a fascinating insight into the world of gripping technology and automation components. Visitors have the opportunity to learn about the latest production technologies, combined with SCHUNK’s high-precision clamping technology. 

During the tour, participants can observe the manufacturing of innovative gripping systems and automation solutions that are used in various industries worldwide. The tour through the production facilities showcases the use of modern machines and manufacturing techniques that ensure the high quality and precision of SCHUNK products. 

A particular highlight of the tour is the SCHUNK Co-Lab, a collaborative lab where the latest technologies are developed and tested. Here, visitors can experience how SCHUNK engineers and partners work together to create groundbreaking solutions for the challenges of Industry 4.0 and AI. 

Overall, the factory tour at SCHUNK provides a comprehensive overview of the innovation and technical expertise behind SCHUNK’s leading products. 
 

IPAI:

Welcome to IPAI (Innovation Park Artificial Intelligence), what is probably the most ambitious project for applied artificial intelligence in Europe.  

A unique innovation ecosystem, as a platform where different Companies come together to work on their future-relevant AI solutions.

Join a Tour at the IPAI-Visitorcenter (IPAI-Livingroom) and get insights into our journey to become Europe’s most relevant AI-Hotspot. 

Preliminary Program 24 march: 

08.00 – Meeting point at Liederhalle
08.15 – Departure by bus to SCHUNK Hausen
09.00 – Arrival at SCHUNK and starting of the tour
11.00 – Departure by bus to IPAI HN
11.30 – Arrival at IPAI and starting of the tour
12.30 – Departure by bus to Liederhalle
13.30 – Arrival at Liederhalle

Preliminary Program 28 march: 

08.00 – Meeting point at Liederhalle
08.15 – Departure by bus to SCHUNK Hausen
09.00 – Arrival at SCHUNK and starting of the tour
11.00 – Departure by bus to IPAI HN
11.30 – Arrival at IPAI and starting of the tour
12.30 – Departure by bus to Liederhalle
13.30 – Arrival at Liederhalle

Note: the program is subject to change without any notice. Further information will follow. 

Address: 

SCHUNK SE & Co. KG 

Robert-Bosch-Str. 12 

D-74336 Brackenheim-Hausen 

Our Customer and Innovation Center CU.BE of Bosch Rexroth in Ulm shows the Bosch vision of a ‘factory of the future’. Our portfolio in factory automation shows the interaction between humans, robotics, AI-supported software and smart functional assemblies.

Description of the tour: 

Tour 1 for the first 30 participants with a 45 min guided tour through the Factory of the Future and in parallel the presentation about Bosch for the remaining 30 participants.

Tour 2 for the second 30 participants with a 45min guided tour through the Factory of the Future and in parallel the presentation about Bosch for the remaining 30 participants.

Preliminary Program 24 march: 

08.00 – Meeting point at Liederhalle and departure by bus

09.15 – Arrival at CUBE Ulm

09.30 – Start of the program with Tour 1

10.15 – 20 min break

10.35 – Start of the program with Tour 2

11.10 – Break with refreshments

11:30 – Return journey by bus to Stuttgart

12:45 – Arrival at Liederhalle

Note: the program is subject to change without any notice. Further information will follow. 

Fraunhofer:

Founded in 1949, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft currently operates 76 institutes and research units throughout Germany. Its nearly 32,000 employees, predominantly scientists and engineers, work with an annual business volume of 3.4 billion euros; 3.0 billion euros of this stems from contract research, which is divided into three funding pillars. Fraunhofer generates a share of this from industry and license-fee revenue, totaling 836 million euros. This high proportion of industrial revenue is Fraunhofer’s unique selling point in the German research landscape. Another share of contract research revenue comes from publicly funded research projects. The final share is base funding supplied by the German federal and state governments and enables our institutes to develop solutions now that will become relevant to the private sector and society in a few years. 

Fraunhofer IPA: With around 1,200 employees, Fraunhofer IPA is one of the largest institutes in the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. The “Automation and Robotics” research division has been developing automation solutions, for example for production and intralogistics, for over 50 years and has led numerous groundbreaking national and international research projects, focusing in particular on the transfer of research results relating to AI-based robotics into applications. For more information visit: https://www.ipa.fraunhofer.de/en.html

Fraunhofer IAO: Digital technologies are changing our working world and have a profound impact on the economy and society. Long-established methods and processes are being modernized and revolutionized by digitization in the shortest of time periods. The Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO works with companies, institutions and public-sector organizations to develop strategies, business models and solutions for the digital transformation. For more information visit: https://www.iao.fraunhofer.de/en.html

During the Lab Tour on Wednesday, guests can experience various exhibits on industrial and service robotics on the entire Fraunhofer campus in Stuttgart.

Tour Details 26 march 2025: 

  • Demo 1: Cobot Welding, Fraunhofer IPA

The potential for the use of robots and especially cobots in welding is greater than ever. However, the high accuracy requirements and programming effort still represent significant hurdles for the use of welding robots, especially for small batch sizes.

  • Demo 2: Robo-Dashcam, Fraunhofer IPA

Safety concepts can have an unfavorable impact on the cycle time of a robot application. This can be improved with the “Robo-Dashcam”. For this purpose, a camera records safety-relevant data and people in compliance with data protection regulations while the robot cell is in operation. Based on  this data, the safety concept can also be adapted later on in order to increase the performance or cycle time of the application. 

  • Demo 3: Planning ToolChain, Fraunhofer IPA

The Planning ToolChain supports engineers in designing their automation solution. The necessary process steps are derived from CAD models and assigned to suitable automation components. These resources are optimally arranged in the existing layout. Subsequently, the automation cell is visualised using augmented reality.

  • Demo 4: DeMoBat, Fraunhofer IPA

Industrial disassembly of battery modules and electric motors: As joint research project “DeMoBat” will demonstrate the feasibility of industrial and automated dismantling of battery modules and e-drive units, taking into account economic and regulatory framework conditions.

  • Demo 5: Interaction design for robots in public spaces: a VR experience, Fraunhofer IAO

Content from the “ZEN-MRI” project is shown in a VR environment.

Preliminary Program 26 march: 

08.00 – Meeting point at Liederhalle and departure by bus

09.15 – Arrival at CUBE Ulm

09.30 – Start of the program with Tour 1

10.15 – 20 min break

10.35 – Start of the program with Tour 2

11.10 – Break with refreshments

11:30 – Return journey by bus to Stuttgart

12:45 – Arrival at Liederhalle

Note: the program is subject to change without any notice. Further information will follow. 

ARENA2036 stands for “Active Research Environment for the Next generation of Automobiles” and is an excellent research campus. Given its location in Stuttgart, the research primarily focuses on automotive and logistics, encompassing advanced topics such as 6G and AI. By bringing together various partners from industry, academia and start-ups, diverse collaborations are possible in the various projects. In this way, new, innovative and forward-looking ideas can be researched, established and transferred to industry.

The cooperation of all actors involved in the value chain under one roof facilitates the cooperation between SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), start-ups and large companies. This cooperation takes place directly in the versatile factory, which serves as an open co-working space. The cooperation in heterogeneous project groups enables a transfer of competence beyond the boundaries of one’s own company and institute, which has a lasting effect on creative and innovative project work. In this way, research results outside the established solution spaces become feasible and supported.

Tour details: 

  • Demo 1: Standardizing AGVs: The Key to Resilient Production, BÄR Automation

Simulation for navigation with VDA5050 and shared safety concepts

  • Demo 2: Easy-to use Floor-to-Floor Pallet Mover, NODE Robotics

Live demonstration: Loading and executing a pallet transport with forked AGVs

  • Demo 3: Spatial and Dynamics perception for robotics based on 4D imaging radars, Waveye

Waveye will present novel 4D radar technology that enables spatial and dynamic perception for robotics. Waveye’s Lightweight Imaging Radars (LIR) achieve an information density comparable to that of lidar, under any operating conditions and for less  than 1/4th of the cost. The spatial perception has resolutions of 3cm in distance and 0.5° in angular measurement. Additionally, every point in the radar image has highly accurate velocity measurement, enabling instantaneous perception of the dynamics of surrounding objects.

  • Demo 4: AI-Driven Precision in Robotics: Demonstration of BOW and Pradivya Software Solutions for TEF Services,  TEF AI-Matters

Explore cutting-edge AI solutions tailored for robotics under the TEF (Testing and Experimentation Facilities) framework, presented by BOW and Pradivya Software Limited. This demonstration highlights innovative applications, including real-time robot optimization, predictive maintenance, and advanced defect detection using synthetic and real-world data integration. Attendees will witness how these tools enhance efficiency, compliance, and adaptability for diverse industrial applications, aligning with Europe’s vision for sustainable and intelligent robotics ecosystems. 

  • Demo 5: Insights into RoX: Digital ecosystem for AI-based robotics, Mercedes

Presentation of a robotics application for picking vehicle parts

  • Demo 6: Robotics challenge for the wire harness, ARENA2036

The Robotics Challenge 2025 represents a significant advancement in the field of industrial automation and focuses on innovative solutions for the robotic assembly of wire harnesses, particularly in the context of the Wire Harness Transformation Hub. This hub is a center for the promotion of technological advancements, in which new automation processes are tested and implemented in cooperation with robotics companies and users in order to significantly increase efficiency in the production of wire harnesses.

Preliminary Program 26 march: 

Note: the program is subject to change without any notice. Further information will follow. 

The University of Stuttgart’s Institute for Control Engineering of Machine Tools and Manufacturing Units (ISW) is a leading research institution specialising in interdisciplinary research and development in the field of production and industrial control engineering. ISW’s research expertise encompasses production IT, control engineering, drive technology, industrial communication and simulation technology. We conduct in-depth research on a range of robot platforms, with a focus on advancing robot intelligence, expanding applications, and enhancing accuracy. Just a five-minute walk from Liederhalle Stuttgart, participants will have the opportunity to visit the University of Stuttgart, ISW.

Highlights of Demonstrations: 

  • Implementation of an online calibration algorithm to improve the positioning accuracy of industrial robots using MEMS sensors
  • Process-adaptive control for accuracy improvement of hybrid (additive and subtractive) manufacturing with industrial robot
  • The application of digital twin and production OT for the architecture of software-defined manufacturing
  • The highly dynamic reconfigurable cable driven parallel robot, which is able to change its geometry to gain task specific features
  • Simulation and machine learning based manipulation solution for cable and wire harness
  • Simplified robotic woodwork, aims to significantly reduce the complexity of programming and operating robot-based manufacturing units

Program: 

Tuesday 25.3. from 12.50 (noon) until 1.50 pm

and Wednesday 26.3. from 12.50 (noon) until 1.50 pm

Note: the program is subject to change without any notice. Further information will follow. 

With a history spanning more than one hundred years, the Mercedes-Benz Sindelfingen plant is one of the most traditional vehicle plants of Mercedes-Benz Group AG.

In addition to vehicle production, the company’s research and development department is also located at the Sindelfingen site. The plant produces luxury and luxury vehicle models, including the S-Class, S-Class Maybach and the all-electric EQS. The Mercedes-Benz E-Class and the Mercedes-Benz GLC are also produced in Sindelfingen. The site covers the entire range of modern drive technologies with classic combustion engines, plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles. Electric vehicles of the EQ product and technology brand roll off the same assembly line flexibly as vehicles with conventional drives.

In 2020, “Factory 56”, one of the most modern assembly halls in the world, opened at the site. A total of around 35,000 employees are employed at the site, of which around 21,500 work in production areas (plant).

Program: 

Monday 24.3. from 8.30 – 10.30

and Friday 28.3. from 8.30 – 10.30

Note: the program is subject to change without any notice. Further information will follow. 

Terms & conditions

Tours are dedicated to all participants regularly registered to ERF 2025.  

Each tour includes the transfers by bus from/to Liederhalle and a guided visit of the company.  

During the booking a flat fee of € 20,00 (VAT included) is due by credit card only. 

To select your preferred tour, please complete and pay your registration to ERF 2025, and then enter again with your credentials and click on “Registration add-ons” button to book your tour. 

Confirmation will be sent by email from the Organising Secretariat.

A minimum of 15 participants is required; if the minimum is not reached by 2 March 2025, the tour could be cancelled for lack of participation, and you will be informed by the Organising Secretariat.