Newsblog

ek robotics is one of the leading manufacturers for automated guided vehicles (AGVs) in the very fast growing transport robotics industry. "The market is growing and we are growing with it. With our new and significantly larger headquarters, we want to meet this growth in an appropriate way and support our further internationalization up to the expansion of a global presence. The intelligent space concept, attractive and modern furnishings, and excellent connections to Hamburg's infrastructure will provide our employees with the best possible working and environmental conditions in the future. Our aspiration and goal is to be one of the most attractive employers in the industry," says Andreas Böttner, CEO of ek robotics. 

Good connection, best neighborhood

Only 500 meters as the crow flies from the Norderelb bridges, at Oberwerder Damm in the Veddel district, the groundbreaking ceremony and thus the start of construction of the new ek robotics headquarters took place this morning. Together with Family Value Management GmbH and Port and Innovation Office Director Lutz M. Birke, the transport robotics specialist welcomed numerous guests from the worlds of business, real estate and the media and press. 

Senator for Economics and Innovation Michael Westhagemann sent his personal congratulations and welcome: "I am delighted that ek robotics, an innovative high-tech company, is setting up its headquarters in the future-oriented district of Veddel. This groundbreaking marks the beginning of a location where climate-neutral high-tech industry will settle. This settlement shows that in Hamburg, companies find optimal conditions for excellent research, highly qualified specialists and strong networking between science and industry." 

Georg Prinz zu Salm-Salm, Partner at Family Value, emphasized the special nature of the location and added: "Attractive and free port areas are now rare. This one is also in a prime neighborhood. To the west of it, the Grasbrook Quarter will be built with a connection to the U4, while the Elbbrücken Quarter is currently being built on the opposite bank of the Norderelbe."  

The building ensemble, which ek robotics will move into in 2023, is 10,000 square meters in size and will provide space for at least 400 transport robotics experts. It consists of an L-shaped office complex with approximately 7,000 square meters of space on five floors and a production and research hall measuring approximately 3,000 square meters. Both designed by the Hamburg architectural firm hörter + trautmann, known for projects such as the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce or the Hafenklang superstructure in Holzhafen. 

Growth at all ek robotics sites

"In particular, a larger production and test area, as well as significantly more space for our development engineers, gives us the necessary freedom and space to continue to offer the greatest variety of transport robotics solutions for intralogistics in the future," emphasizes Andreas Böttner, referring at the same time to the subsidiaries in Great Britain and Italy, which have recently moved into new locations with a view to growth and optimization. The British subsidiary, for example, has relocated from Bramley to the centrally located Buckingham, acquired a new office building with an adjoining workshop, expanded from approx. 90 square meters to 500 square meters and thus created space for additional employees. In Italy, the focus is on series production of the VARIO MOVE, which is why the company has acquired its own site in Milan. The site, which covers more than 2000 square meters, includes an office building as well as three production and storage halls. The Czech subsidiary is also on an expansion course and is planning to triple its production capacity, which will in particular enable the series production of transport robots at a new site in Prague.