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Mar 18, 2021 at 3:41 PMAutoStore, the leading company in robotic technology, introduces its Innovation Hub, a groundbreaking new center located in Karmøy, Norway, where different business and warehouse environments can be tested and replicated. The test center in Karmøy, Norway, can simulate hot and cold weather conditions and earthquakes.
(Mönchengladbach) As a provider of automated storage and fulfillment technology for Puma, Gucci, Best Buy, and many other global brands, AutoStore is experiencing continuous growth in revenue and customers. The robotics company has therefore sought to establish a testing facility that allows for faster adaptation of automated systems for its customers to keep pace with order demand.
The facility, built in just seven months, is equipped with a combination of robotic technology and infrastructure for supply chain environments and retail stores that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. The hub will be able to test solutions designed for global retailers and their stores and warehouses.
Simulation of Various Situations
The environment of the facility can be adjusted to test the robots in both heat and cold to analyze how oxygen levels change when goods are stacked in storage systems. The hub also simulates earthquakes to see how storage and retail facilities or technologies would respond to potentially harmful situations as well as a range of other functions.
“We recognized the need for solutions to be tested in various situations, but we could not set up one test center for cold and another for warm environments, as well as one for modern retail concepts or for the storage of medical products, and so on. That’s why we established a center where we can simulate different situations and needs. This agile approach gives our customers a competitive advantage in the market and places them at the forefront of new innovations in the industry that they can leverage,” says Karl Johan Lier, CEO of AutoStore.
“In the robotics industry, we don’t have time to prolong processes. As a technology company, we must identify needs and develop good solutions in collaboration with our partners and customers that can work immediately. We live in a time of exponential development in most areas, and therefore we must be able to develop solutions that are not outdated when they are used,” Lier continues.
Micro-Fulfillment is Coming
Micro-fulfillment represents one of the biggest challenges for retail. If a company does not have an item available immediately, the consumer will either buy it elsewhere or choose a different product. Handling everyday items and groceries in regional distribution centers does not meet today’s demands and expectations for order fulfillment and leaves room for automation systems that can.
Lier predicts that there will be significant changes worldwide in how stores, branches, shopping centers, and online shopping are installed and organized. Stores, transportation, warehouses, and all aspects of logistics will be interconnected in entirely new ways.
“The requirements vary from store to store and from industry to industry. Our flexibility must enable brands to optimize their operations according to their specific needs. To achieve this, we must constantly test and develop new solutions. The AutoStore Innovation Hub will play a crucial role here,” says Lier.
Photo: © AutoStore
