KNAPP Establishes Robotics and AI Innovation Hub in Boston, MA

KNAPP Establishes Robotics and AI Innovation Hub in Boston, MA

The New Business Boosts the Development of AI-powered Robotics Solutions for Warehouse Automation and Intelligent Fulfillment Processes

KNAPP, the reliable technology partner for value chain innovation, founded KNAPPRobotics.ai Inc. to drive the development of intelligent robotics solutions and accelerate achieving their industrial readiness. KNAPP’s new U.S. location in greater Boston is designed to be a robotics and AI innovation hub that will grant the existing robotics center in Graz, Austria direct access to one of the world’s leading research and technology ecosystems.

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Leadership team of KNAPP’s new Innovation Hub in Boston, advancing innovation and technology development. Copyright: ©KNAPP/Steph Steven

KNAPPRobotics.ai at a Glance

• New cutting-edge robotics lab located in Somerville, Massachusetts
• Part of a global robotics organization with competence centers in Graz, Austria and Boston, MA
• Team of 30 to 35 employees by early 2027
• Focus on AI, computer vision, robotics and product development
• Building closer ties with MIT, a renowned center for AI and robotics research

Two Locations, One Shared Mission

With KNAPPRobotics.ai, KNAPP is establishing a global organization that spans the full continuum of robotics expertise, product management and product launch management. While the location in Graz, Austria will stay the center for robotics development, logistics know-how and achieving industrial readiness, the Boston location will serve as an international innovation and technology hub for specific industrial applications. Together, these centers form a well-connected network of competence linking research, product development, and solution design and deployment.

The new hub in Boston was founded with the aim of translating market requirements into scalable and profitable robotics solutions more quickly. As the group-wide business owner of robotics, KNAPPRobotics.ai unites product management, development and implementation under one roof, shortening KNAPP’s development cycles, accelerating product launch and paving the way for robotics to become a scalable product and solution business. “Robotics is developing at a rapid pace, while customers are expecting solutions that can be implemented quickly, operated reliably and scaled at a global level. With KNAPPRobotics.ai, we are laying the organizational foundation that will enable us to firmly link innovation, product development and product launch management and turn new technologies into real customer applications faster,” explains Gerald Hofer, CEO of KNAPP AG.

Boston: Robotics and AI Innovation Hub

As a state-of-the-art robotics lab, KNAPPRobotics.ai will consist of a team of software developers, AI specialists, mechatronics and robotics experts who will work on intelligent, next-gen logistics solutions. By early 2027, KNAPPRobotics.ai will employ 30 to 35 people, around 20 of whom will be working in software development and be composed of experienced KNAPP employees and new talent from the Boston tech and robotics scene – a deliberate move that will create a balanced team of experts. Wolfgang Toferer will lead the company as the CEO and, together with Christopher Reiß as the COO and Vice President Thomas Zilk, will build KNAPPRobotics.ai and drive the global robotics business in the KNAPP group.

Boston is one of the leading centers for robotics, artificial intelligence and technology development in the world. As the area is home to many renowned universities, research institutes, tech companies and start-ups, it is the ideal place to keep the finger on the pulse and deploy industry-ready solutions.

At the core of KNAPPRobotics.ai’s endeavors are physical AI systems, which are able to perceive their environment, make decisions and perform physical tasks reliably. For example, they can be used to carry out piece picking, bin picking, cycle counting and other processes throughout the material flow in a warehouse. Overarching these systems is the KNAPP Brain, a platform that covers solutions for AI, computer vision, grip point calculation, motion planning and continuous learning, forming a powerful basis for intelligent robotics solutions. Besides innovating, KNAPPRobotics.ai aims to turn their technologies into scalable, robust and profitable applications for warehouse logistics.

“Boston offers an extraordinary combination of robotics research, entrepreneurship and a pool of highly qualified talent. Our goal is to build an innovation hub that adds fresh impetus to the entire KNAPP group and optimally complement the strengths of our location in Graz. This allows us to combine the innovative power of a worldwide leading robotics ecosystem with KNAPP’s decades of automation and logistics experience,” says Wolfgang Toferer, CEO of KNAPPRobotics.ai.

MIT Proximity Spurs Innovation

Another major advantage of the new location in Boston is its proximity to the renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). KNAPP has been collaborating with MIT for several years and became a member of the MIT Industrial Liaison Program (ILP) in 2026. Being close to MIT allows KNAPP to access the most recent scientific knowledge and innovative methods and reach highly qualified talent. The goal is to accelerate translating research results into industrial applications and strategically develop the company’s robotics platform KNAPP Brain.

In addition, KNAPP is also seeking partnerships with other businesses in the area of robot learning, computer vision, autonomous systems, simulation and intelligent robotics.

About KNAPP

KNAPP is one of the worldwide leading technology partners for logistics automation and digital supply chains. The company develops software, robotics and AI solutions for manufacturing, distribution and retail. As a value chain tech partner, KNAPP designs efficient intralogistics solutions for customers in the healthcare, retail, food retail, fashion, wholesale and manufacturing sectors. The KNAPP group has 9,000 employees worldwide and is headquartered in Austria.

KNAPPRobotics.ai is a subsidiary of the KNAPP group and is located in Somerville near Boston (MA), USA. The company focuses on the development and enhancement of robotics, AI and physical AI solutions for logistics applications, supporting the long-term innovation strategy of the KNAPP group.

Media Contact:
Alex Taylor
KNAPP North America
+1 470 962 8657 | alex.taylor@knapp.com

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