German premiere for European Robotics Forum

Over 1,300 attendees from European research, industry, and politics, with more than 60 sponsors and an extensive program on robotics and artificial intelligence (AI): The top-class European Robotics Forum (ERF) of euRobotics, the European Robotics Association, will take place in Stuttgart's Liederhalle from March 25-27, 2025. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft with Fraunhofer IPA and Fraunhofer IAO, the University of Stuttgart and Cyber Valley are cooperation partners. The state capital Stuttgart and other partners also support ERF.

For the first time in its 15 years, ERF is coming to Germany. In spring 2025, the European robotics community will meet at its flagship event in the Liederhalle, located in the heart of Stuttgart. ERF is the most important European event for robotics and AI and this year's theme is “Boosting the Synergies between Robotics and AI for a stronger Europe”. The aim is to bring together research and industry, present the current state of robotics and AI on a large stage and help shape future technological developments.

“The increasing integration of robotics with artificial intelligence, cognitive systems, and machine learning holds tremendous potential for our economy and society. It is crucial for Germany and Europe to not only use these technologies but also to develop them. This is the only way we can actively set standards and secure a leading position in international competition,” says Prof. Holger Hanselka, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. euRobotics, the European Robotics Association, in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA as its scientific partner and an event agency, is responsible for organizing the event. The President of euRobotics Dr. Bernd Liepert said: “ERF has been part of our story since euRobotics was founded in 2010, even two years before the euRobotis association was formally founded. Since then it has become part of the glue that binds research and industry together so well. As the robotics association for the whole European continent we always take an international perspective.”

ERF features a diverse range of event formats and is therefore unique in the European robotics community. Keynotes, lectures, and workshops make up a large part of the very diverse program. For example, attendees can select between more than 50 workshops with topics like application trends in industrial and service robotics, generative AI in robot programming and control, regulatory AI Act or humanoid robots. In addition, individuals and companies can apply for several euRobotics awards, which will be presented during ERF. These include the Tech Transfer Award for outstanding success in transferring research results into business applications, the Renaud Champion Entrepreneurship Award, which is given to the most promising robotic start-up idea, and the Georges Giralt PhD Award for the best doctoral thesis in the field of robotics. An exhibition of robot and AI-based applications, presented in the style of a trade fair, complements the program. Networking and professional exchange also play a major role – which include two evening events and in-situ visits to the regional robotic ecosystem.

“Robotics is a key technology for Germany as an industrial location. Intelligent robots will not only revolutionize traditional industrial production, but also areas such as healthcare, construction and agriculture. Germany has great potential to be a global leader in AI-based robotics”, emphasizes Professor Alexander Verl, Co-Chair of the scientific part of the program section of the ERF and Head of the Institute for Control Engineering of Machine Tools and Manufacturing Units (ISW) at the University of Stuttgart. The “Scientific Track”, organized by the University of Stuttgart and Fraunhofer IPA, is being held for the second time. Its premiere at 2024 ERF in Rimini was very successful. The Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO will contribute with program items on the topic of “Future of Work”. ERF will also provide a platform for major national and international initiatives such as the Robotics Institute Germany, RoX – Digital Ecosystem for AI-based Robotics, and the ROS Industrial Consortium for open-source software. For the first time, free program items in the weeks leading up to and during the ERF are planned, which, in the spirit of “public engagement”, shall address interested parties from all areas of society, to inform and start an exchange about robotics and AI. As a cooperation partner, Cyber Valley, Europe's center for excellence in AI and modern robotics, is contributing this part of the program to the event.

The event will have a major impact on European robotics. The fact that it is being held in Germany for the first time is a perfect fit, as it is the country with the highest number of euRobotics members and the highest robot density in Europe, with 429 robots per 10,000 employees. This puts Germany in fourth place worldwide, with South Korea in first place with 1012 robots, according to an annual survey by the International Federation of Robotics. AI-based robotics is also an important strategic cornerstone of German and European economic and science policy to tackle social challenges such as demographic change and labour shortages. Important impetus for this will also come from the conference “AI-based Robotics 2025” (KIRO), which will be integrated into ERF and is carried out by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs (BMWK) and of Education and Research (BMBF).

In this context, numerous well-known guests lend ERF additional significance. The current Federal Minister of Economic Affairs, Robert Habeck, is announced for the official opening on March 25, 2025. Professor Holger Hanselka, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, will also be part of the official opening of ERF. Contributions by Baden-Württemberg's Minister for Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism, Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, and by Lucilla Sioli, Director for AI and Digital Industry at the European Commission, are further official items on the program. The local Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism is a co-organizer of the ERF 2025. Finally, the state capital Stuttgart, and the Stuttgart Region Economic Development Corporation are also supporting the ERF. Stuttgart’s Lord Mayor Dr. Frank Nopper will be giving a welcome speech at the pre-conference reception that will be hosted by the City of Stuttgart.

Following the opening on March 25, a press conference and panel discussion about Europe’s status and possibilities with respect to robotics and AI technologies is planned, which is aimed in particular at media representatives. The General Chair of the event, Dr. Werner Kraus from Fraunhofer IPA, as well as the Co-Chairs Dr. Matthias Peissner (Fraunhofer IAO), Professor Alexander Verl and Professor Marco Huber (both from the University of Stuttgart) and Rebecca C. Reisch (Managing Director of Cyber Valley GmbH) will also take part. From euRobotics, Dr. Bernd Liepert will join. Journalists from the daily, weekly and trade press can register free of charge for ERF.

Further information for interested parties, media representatives, potential sponsors, and exhibitors, as well as all program and registration details can be found on the ERF 2025 website.

euRobotics: euRobotics aisbl is a Brussels based international non-profit association for all stakeholders in European robotics. It was founded in September 2012 with the aim to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness and to ensure industrial leadership of manufacturers, providers and end-users of robotics technology-based systems and services. The objectives of euRobotics are to boost European robotics research, development and innovation and to foster a positive perception of robotics.

The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft: The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, based in Germany, is a leading applied research organization. It plays a crucial role in the innovation process by prioritizing research in key future technologies and transferring its research findings to industry in order to strengthen Germany as a hub of industrial activity as well as for the benefit of society. Founded in 1949, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft currently operates 76 institutes and research units throughout Germany. Its nearly 32,000 employees, predominantly scientists and engineers, work with an annual business volume of 3.4 billion euros; 3.0 billion euros of this stems from contract research, which is divided into three funding pillars. Fraunhofer generates a share of this from industry and license-fee revenue, totaling 836 million euros. This high proportion of industrial revenue is Fraunhofer's unique selling point in the German research landscape. Another share of contract research revenue comes from publicly funded research projects. The final share is base funding supplied by the German federal and state governments and enables our institutes to develop solutions now that will become relevant to the private sector and society in a few years.

Fraunhofer IPA: With around 1200 employees, Fraunhofer IPA is one of the largest institutes in the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. The “Automation and Robotics” research division has been developing automation solutions, for example for production and intralogistics, for over 50 years and has led numerous groundbreaking national and international research projects, focusing in particular on the transfer of research results relating to AI-based robotics into applications.

Fraunhofer IAO: Digital technologies are changing our working world and have a profound impact on the economy and society. Long-established methods and processes are being modernized and revolutionized by digitization in the shortest of time periods. The Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO works with companies, institutions and public-sector organizations to develop strategies, business models and solutions for the digital transformation.

University of Stuttgart: The University of Stuttgart is a leading technically oriented university with a worldwide reputation. With its 22,000 students and approximately 5,500 employees, it pursues the vision of “intelligent systems for a sustainable society”. With its strong research profile, its successful collaborative research and its currently two clusters of excellence, it is one of the most successful universities in Germany. Its special profile, the “Stuttgart Way”, stands for the consistent interdisciplinary networking of complementary subject areas and the integration of engineering, natural sciences, humanities and social sciences.

Cyber Valley GmbH: Cyber Valley is Europe’s largest and leading center for excellence in artificial intelligence and modern robotics. Its mission and public mandate are to advocate for research, development, application, and acceptance of technologies and methods in the field of intelligent systems. Cyber Valley encourages entrepreneurship by uniting scientific excellence with innovation and technology transfer. In addition, Cyber Valley facilitates critical reflection on the ethical and social implications of AI through public engagement. Cyber Valley envisions a future in which the full potential of intelligent systems is leveraged for the greater good of the world.

State capital Stuttgart: Stuttgart is an important center of science. The city is the scientific centre of Baden-Württemberg with a high density of scientific institutions. According to the State Statistical Office, 45 percent of the state's research and development capacity is concentrated in Stuttgart, making it one of the strongest research locations in Germany. The city is the only city in Baden-Württemberg with two universities, in addition to five public colleges and a large number of private universities. With around 59,000 students, Stuttgart is the largest student city in Baden-Württemberg. In addition, numerous research-based companies contribute to Stuttgart's scientific strength and form an essential basis for the city's prosperity.