{"id":542060,"date":"2026-07-13T10:19:02","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T08:19:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/silicon-saxony.de\/fraunhofer-ipa-strategic-collaboration-with-zeq-in-healthcare-robotics-launched\/"},"modified":"2026-07-13T10:19:02","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T08:19:02","slug":"fraunhofer-ipa-strategic-collaboration-with-zeq-in-healthcare-robotics-launched","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/silicon-saxony.de\/en\/fraunhofer-ipa-strategic-collaboration-with-zeq-in-healthcare-robotics-launched\/","title":{"rendered":"Fraunhofer IPA: Strategic Collaboration with ZEQ in Healthcare Robotics Launched"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Helping with household chores, bringing food to patients, assisting during surgeries, harvesting tomatoes in a greenhouse, lending a hand on a construction site, or stocking shelves at a supermarket: “Cognitive robots must be capable of more than just performing the same task 24 hours a day on the factory floor. They must perceive what is happening around them, react, act independently to some extent, adapt, and work together with their human counterparts to perform a variety of tasks,” explains Jens Kober. He is the new research team leader at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA) and heads the new Department of Learning and Interactive Robots at the Institute for Artificial Intelligence at the University of Stuttgart.<\/p>\n

The Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA and the management consulting firm ZEQ have launched a strategic partnership to support hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, and long-term care facilities in the use of assistive robots and AI-based solutions. The goal of the collaboration is to provide these institutions with structured and low-threshold access to robotics\u2014from the initial potential analysis through to integration into ongoing operations. ZEQ contributes its expertise in clinical strategy, change management, and organizational consulting; while Fraunhofer IPA is responsible for technological assessment, system integration, and scientific evaluation.<\/p>\n

In addition to physical assistive robotics, the partners are also exploring AI-supported applications, such as process analysis, intelligent resource planning, automated documentation, and data-driven evaluation. In this way, the collaboration combines technological innovation with the question of how new solutions can be integrated into clinical workflows in a meaningful, safe, and accepted manner.<\/p>\n

Consult First, Then Implement Strategically<\/h3>\n

At the heart of the joint offering is a modular approach: In the first step, the partners work with the hospital to analyze which processes are suitable for robot deployment, what infrastructure is in place, and which available robot platforms are viable options. Building on this, feasibility studies, pilot projects, and finally the rollout can follow.<\/p>\n

The range of robot types under consideration includes, among others, autonomous transport robots for pick-up and delivery services, cleaning and disinfection robots, interaction robots for patient guidance, providing patient information, and collecting patient data, as well as exoskeletons that assist nursing staff with physically demanding tasks. A unique selling point of the collaboration is what is known as \u201cmulti-task integration\u201d: The Fraunhofer IPA is expanding existing robot platforms so that a single robot can perform multiple tasks\u2014from material transport to the collection of vital signs to automated documentation. In addition, Fraunhofer IPA integrates this robot platform into a hospital\u2019s existing infrastructure, enabling it to open doors or operate elevators.<\/p>\n

Relief for Staff, Added Value for Patients<\/h3>\n

The shortage of skilled workers in hospitals and long-term care facilities calls for new solutions. “Robotics and AI do not demonstrate their value in healthcare simply by placing technology on the ward. What matters is that they solve a specific care or organizational problem, are accepted by staff, and are integrated into operations in an economically viable manner. This is precisely where we see the strength of our collaboration with Fraunhofer IPA: We combine technological feasibility with strategy, process understanding, and change management,\u201d explains Nico Kasper, CEO of the management consulting firm ZEQ.<\/p>\n

\u201cRobotic technology for hospital use is already widely available. What\u2019s missing is systematic integration into clinical workflows. This is exactly where our collaboration comes in: We combine organizational consulting with technical implementation expertise to create robust solutions for everyday ward operations,\u201d adds Andreas Traube, Head of the Healthcare Industry Division at Fraunhofer IPA.<\/p>\n

Stronger Together Than the Sum of Our Parts<\/h3>\n

The decisive added value arises from the interplay of both perspectives in every project phase:<\/p>\n