Hitachi and FANUC Partner to Advance Physical AI in Manufacturing

Hitachi and FANUC have entered a strategic partnership to accelerate the development and deployment of Physical AI for manufacturing. By combining Hitachi's advanced AI technologies with FANUC's industrial robotics expertise, the companies aim to help manufacturers increase productivity, improve operational flexibility and address workforce challenges. 

The collaboration focuses on developing practical Physical AI solutions capable of operating in real production environments. Unlike AI systems that rely solely on simulations, the joint approach enables continuous learning from real manufacturing processes, helping robots adapt to changing conditions and complex production tasks. 

As part of the initiative, Hitachi Group factories will serve as a real-world validation environment, allowing both companies to refine and train Physical AI applications directly on the shop floor. Initial use cases include parts picking, handling components with varying shapes and managing production changeovers. 

The partnership combines Hitachi's AI technologies, including HMAX Industry, with FANUC's AI-enabled industrial robots and extensive automation expertise. The goal is to create more autonomous manufacturing processes while maintaining the reliability, precision and efficiency required in industrial production. 

Building on the experience gained through these validation activities, Hitachi and FANUC plan to begin deploying Physical AI solutions to customers from fiscal 2027. The companies expect applications across a wide range of industries, including automotive, logistics, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, food production and advanced materials manufacturing. 

"Hitachi has been working to transform social infrastructure by combining AI with the domain knowledge it has accumulated at social infrastructure sites. Through this strategic partnership with FANUC, we aim to innovate manufacturing sites that support people's lives and industries through the use of Physical AI. By combining FANUC's world-class advanced industrial robotics technologies with Hitachi's manufacturing expertise, production-line engineering capabilities, and digital technologies, we will accelerate the implementation of Physical AI at manufacturing sites. By applying the outcomes gained through our Customer Zero initiatives and providing customers with integrated support from on-site Physical AI simplementation through operation and continuous improvement, we will contribute to improving productivity and quality across manufacturing operations and addressing social challenges such as labor shortages." 
 

"Recent advances in AI technologies have expanded their use not only among businesses but also among consumers. Today, the practical deployment of Physical AI, where AI perceives, reasons about, and acts in the physical world through robots and machines, is becoming a reality across various industries. This strategic partnership will accelerate the deployment of Physical AI by combining Hitachi's advanced AI technologies with FANUC's highly reliable products, sophisticated control technologies, AI expertise, and extensive robotics experience."

"By positioning Hitachi's manufacturing facilities as 'Customer Zero,' we will increase the development and deployment of practical Physical AI solutions that can operate reliably in real production environments. We believe this will provide a pathway toward autonomizing many production processes that manufacturers around the world face today."

"Together with Hitachi, we will further expand the scope of Physical AI applications and contribute to solving pressing societal challenges, including labor shortages and the transfer of skills and expertise from experienced workers to future generations." 

As manufacturers continue to face labour shortages, increasing production complexity and the need for greater flexibility, Physical AI has the potential to enable more autonomous industrial operations. By combining AI, robotics and manufacturing expertise, Hitachi and FANUC aim to accelerate the practical adoption of these technologies and support the next generation of intelligent manufacturing environments.