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Hitachi to merge two business units to expand robotics offering in Asia

Hitachi is planning to merge two of its business units to create one expanded robotics systems integration business for the Japanese and Asean markets.

Hitachi has been accelerating the global development of its line building business leveraging industrial robots – the robotic systems integration business – and will merge Hitachi Automation and Kyoto Robotics, Hitachi Group companies in Hitachi’s Industrial Digital Business Unit, on April 1, 2023 to strengthen the robotic systems integration business in Japan and Asean countries.

Hitachi Automation began operating within the Industrial Digital Business Unit in April 2022. Since then, it has been accelerating the fusion between digital solutions analyzing and optimizing data leveraging Lumada handled by Hitachi and robotic systems integration which involves a massive amount of data from shop floor.

Kyoto Robotics was founded in 2000 and acquired by Hitachi in April 2021.

Since its foundation, it has been developing and providing intelligent robotic vision systems that do not require teaching and master data that recognize objects with an accuracy of 99.99 percent using three-dimensional vision like humans and that think and carry objects using AI control systems, aiming for full automation in the fields of manufacturing and logistics.

Due to its high-level technological development capabilities, it has partnerships with a range of robot manufacturers.

Following the merger, Hitachi will expand its ability to comprehensively propose solutions to customers to move forward with the automation and digital transformation of manufacturing and logistics through a combination of Hitachi Automation’s front engineering capabilities in its robotic systems integration business in the fields of manufacturing and logistics, Kyoto Robotics’ differentiating technologies in intelligent robotic vision systems, the Hitachi Industrial Digital Business Unit’s digital solutions in the fields of OT and IT, and the development capabilities of Hitachi’s Research & Development Group.

At the same time, Hitachi will unite its domestic robotic systems integration business resources, including the companies’ customer bases, expertise and human capital, to enhance sales and development functions and to increase the business efficiency.

Hitachi will also strengthen the collaboration with JR Automation, which operates its robotic systems integration business mainly in North America and Europe, and Hitachi Automation to expand its ability to provide full turnkey solutions.

Taking advantage of its solution proposal capabilities combining digital technologies, Hitachi will contribute to solving customers’ issues. In this way, Hitachi aims to become a global leader in the robotic systems integration business.

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