Knapp has opened a robotics and AI innovation hub in Somerville, Massachusetts, under a new entity, KNAPPRobotics.ai Inc. The Austrian warehouse automation provider said the unit will employ 30 to 35 people by early 2027 and will work closely with MIT on AI, computer vision and robotics. Graz, Austria remains the center for robotics development and industrial readiness, while Boston serves as an international innovation hub for specific industrial applications. The unit consolidates product management, development and implementation, and is built around physical AI systems overseen by the KNAPP Brain platform.
According to DC Velocity, Austrian warehouse automation provider Knapp has opened a robotics and artificial intelligence innovation hub in the Boston area, establishing a U.S. presence intended to link its existing robotics center in Graz, Austria, with one of the world’s leading research and technology ecosystems.
New U.S. entity targets industrial readiness
The company has founded KNAPPRobotics.ai Inc. to drive development of intelligent robotics solutions and to accelerate their path to industrial readiness, according to the report. The unit is based in Somerville, Massachusetts, and is expected to employ a team of 30 to 35 people by early 2027.
Knapp said the Boston operation will build closer ties with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, described in the report as a renowned center for AI and robotics research, to support work in AI, computer vision, robotics and product development.
The division of labor between the two sites is explicit: Graz remains the center for robotics development, logistics know-how and industrial readiness, while Boston serves as an international innovation and technology hub for specific industrial applications. The company said the two centers together form a connected network of competence linking research, product development, and solution design and deployment.
Consolidating robotics under one roof
As the group-wide business owner of robotics, KNAPPRobotics.ai unites product management, development and implementation in a single organization. According to the report, that structure is meant to shorten Knapp’s development cycles, accelerate product launches and allow robotics to become a scalable product and solution business.
The technical focus of the unit is on physical AI systems — machines that can perceive their environment, make decisions and perform physical tasks reliably. The source lists piece picking, bin picking, cycle counting and other processes across warehouse material flow as example applications.
Overseeing those systems is the KNAPP Brain, a platform that covers AI, computer vision, grip point calculation, motion planning and continuous learning. The company describes it as the basis for its intelligent robotics solutions.
Anchoring development in two research regions
The move places Knapp’s robotics business across two locations with distinct roles: Graz in Austria for core robotics development and logistics expertise, and Somerville in Massachusetts for application-specific innovation and proximity to U.S. research talent.
The announcement was reported on Nov 04, 2026 by DC Velocity. The reported staffing target of 30 to 35 employees by early 2027 indicates the hub will start relatively small, focused on development and product work rather than large-scale deployment.
Knapp’s stated rationale is access to a leading technology ecosystem for its Graz robotics center, while keeping industrial readiness and logistics know-how anchored in Austria. The company did not disclose financial terms for the new unit in the source report.
Source: DC Velocity
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
