In Portrait | Berlin-Brandenburg Robotics Network

There are more than 60 robotics companies in the Berlin region. In addition, numerous research institutions and projects are devoted to the topic. The Berlin-Brandenburg Robotics Network, borne by the Berlin Partner Business Location Center, is an open platform that contributes to organizing exchange between the many players in the sector and connects them to representatives from other segments to promote innovation.

Robotics is one of the topics that is becoming increasingly important in many industry sectors as well as in society. While the use of robots is already commonplace in the production of machines and cars, for example, the increased use of artificial intelligence (AI) is also making their deployment more attractive in other fields. This is because AI enables robots to act autonomously and therefore work with even greater precision and complexity.

In the Berlin region alone, there are more than 60 robotics companies. In addition, many industrial users and research institutions deal with the topic in different ways. This makes the capital region an important location for robotics in Germany. The Berlin-Brandenburg Robotics Network has made it its mission to strengthen the growth and innovative power of this already flourishing infrastructure. The network is borne by the Berlin Partner Business Location Center, the capital region’s organization for business development.

An open platform for open exchange

“The network regards itself as an open platform in which there is no official membership. At the network meetings, representatives of the robotics community exchange ideas with each other and with players from other sectors in order to tackle innovative projects together,” says Jens Woelki, who co-organizes the network meetings for Berlin Partner.

The network meetings take place regularly throughout the year at different companies or institutions, which are often part of the robotics community. The meetings usually have a specific theme, with different speakers providing input and discussions. In May 2024, for example, representatives of leading robotics companies met on the premises of LAT group, a manufacturer of rail vehicles and vehicle parts, to discuss the integration of robotics solutions in companies. In the October meeting at KleRo GmbH, industry representatives discussed security technologies in robotics. Also in October, the network was present at the We Robot Europe conference, which deals with ethical and legal aspects of robotics use.

Robotics in nursing

At the beginning of December 2024, an event bringing together representatives from the segments nursing, science and technology at the Historisches Kesselhaus of the Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin centered around the use of robotics in nursing. Practical insights were given into experiences with the use of robotics from a care perspective and manufacturers demonstrated existing technical possibilities. The focus was not on replacing nursing staff with robots, but on relieving their workload with technology – for example, with exoskeletons that are used to lift patients out of bed.

Many robotics companies from the Berlin region that are active in the healthcare industry were present. One of them was Bearcover, which offers a robot that supports the night shift in nursing homes, another German Bionics, which manufactures exoskeletons for nursing care, among other things. “At German Bionic, we develop and produce active, portable robotics devices. Our intelligent exoskeletons are AI-based and support employees with active robot assistance in heavy, repetitive lifting and holding activities, for example in the logistics, construction and care sectors,” says Steffen Ganders, Head of Public Affairs at German Bionics. “In the Berlin region, we not only find an excellent research landscape for this kind of socially relevant innovation, but also people with the right mindset and necessary openness in business, politics and society, who enable the application of the technologies. This makes the capital region an ideal location to scale the development of our company.”

Representatives of pi4_robotics, a leading provider of technology in robotics residing in Berlin, also gave input. pi4_robotics is frequently present at the network meetings. “More than 30 years ago, pi4_robotics GmbH was founded in Berlin. Today, we are the only manufacturers of humanoid robotics in Germany. We have extensive experience in the fields of robotics, image processing and artificial intelligence for factory automation and service robotics, which we are happy to contribute to the Robotics Network,” says Matthias Krinke, Managing Director of pi4_robotics.

In the healthcare sector, the Berlin region is also home to numerous robotics companies and research projects. Some examples are ReWalk, which manufactures exoskeletons for patients, Sphaira, which aims to enable the autonomous transportation of patients, and Teleskoop, which has researched the first immersive telepresence system for outpatient care. The capital region also ensures that R&D projects in the field of robotics and healthcare are put into practice. Led by Prof. Dr. Petra Ritter, Director at the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité (BIH), the EU consortium TEF-Health supports EU-based SMEs with its services to validate innovative approaches in AI and robotics in healthcare and bring them to market faster.

In Berlin-Brandenburg, robotics is already strengthening the local economy and has potential for further growth. If you are interested in the Robotics Network, you can get in touch with Jens Woelki at jens.woelki@berlin-partner.de.

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