MassRobotics, Novanta partner to aid robotics startups

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Novanta announced a new partnership with MassRobotics to help create and scale the next generation of successful robotics startups. Through the partnership, Novanta business units Celera Motion and ATI Industrial Automation will collaborate with MassRobotics to develop advanced innovations in medical/surgical robotics and improve robotic productivity.

MassRobotics is an independent, nonprofit organization serving as an innovation hub for robotics and connected devices. Its efforts include providing innovative entrepreneurs and startups with the workspace and resources they need to develop and commercialize their products and solutions. MassRobotics is also the strategic partner of The Robot Report‘s Robotics Summit & Expo, which runs May 10-11 in Boston.

Celera Motion is a provider of motion control components and subsystems for OEMs serving a variety of medical and advanced industrial markets. It will collaborate with MassRobotics and the other companies, organizations and research institutions that it works with to create new innovations across a wide spectrum of applications, especially in medical robotics.

“We are proud to support MassRobotics in its critical mission to create advanced robotics, particularly in the medical field,” said Matthijs Glastra, CEO of Novanta. “We are fortunate to be in a unique setting in the Boston area, surrounded by the world’s top hospitals, medical laboratories and educational institutions. That has given rise to a unique regional ecosystem of resources — with the necessary talent, knowledge networks, infrastructure and financial resources — to produce the best in medical/surgical robotics.”

ATI Industrial Automation is developer of robotic accessories and robot arm tooling. It will work with MassRobotics to develop sophisticated technological solutions that improve robotic productivity. ATI was acquired by Novanta in July 2021 for $172 million.

“We’re thrilled to partner with MassRobotics to engineer the best innovations for the most demanding applications,” said Robert Little, president and general manager of ATI Industrial Automation. “We love to work with people as passionate about robotics as we are, and we see incredible opportunities ahead for exciting new advancements.”

MassRobotics currently leads a cluster of the highest concentration of robotics companies in the world, with roughly 400 companies, 65 resident startups and 40 strategic partners. Through programming and events, MassRobotics helps bring together innovative startups and existing technology organizations to promote innovation and nurture the next generation of talent.

“We’re excited to be part of the Boston area’s robotics community, one that is leading the next wave of technology,” said Kalpana Singh, president and general manager of Celera Motion. “Together, we are simultaneously fostering and benefiting from our area’s incredibly innovative culture. The future is very bright for our industry, and we can’t wait to see what we’ll accomplish together.”

MassRobotics also recently partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) on the the new AWS Robotics Startup Accelerator. The accelerator will help startups address challenges in the automation, robotics and industrial internet-of-things (IIoT) industries.