Where research ideas become industry standards, SCHUNK and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) are sending a joint signal: At the second German Robotics Conference (March 11–13, 2026), they agreed to further expand their collaboration in the field of humanoid robot hands – with the aim of translating research results more quickly into robust, industry-ready solutions. DLR’s Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics has extensive experience in developing robotic solutions and has already been working with SCHUNK for around 20 years. With the expanded cooperation, both sides build on this success and combine their technological expertise.
The DLR technology is set to be implemented in SCHUNK’s new modular humanoid robot hands and further developed for industrial applications. This will enable the targeted enhancement of human-like dexterity – especially fine motor manipulation skills – for demanding automation tasks.
“We are focusing on strong partnerships to jointly unlock opportunities in robotics and consistently translate them into real-world applications – with speed and focus,“ says Timo Gessmann, CTO of SCHUNK. “Bringing together our decades of mechanical expertise with cutting-edge robotics research and new AI technologies unlocks enormous innovation potential.“
The German Robotics Conference, organized by the Robotics Institute Germany (RIG) brings together leading representatives from politics, academia, industry, and start-ups to strengthen the link between research, innovation, and technology transfer. On site, Dorothee Bär, Federal Minister for Research, Technology and Space, got an impression of the current state of robotics and, among other things, exchanged views with SCHUNK on the role that collaboration and openness to technology play in strengthening Germany’s innovative capacity in robotics and AI.
