Accenture (NYSE: ACN) and Schaeffler AG are working together to change industrial automation with physical AI and robotics.

A showcase at Hannover Messe 2025 illustrate how next-gen simulation, AI, and data technologies from NVIDIA and Microsoft are optimizing workflows from human-centric operations to full robotic automation.

The showcase encompass industrial automation systems, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), Schaeffler’s mobile manipulator cobot EMMA, and general-purpose humanoid robots such as Agility Robotics’ Digit and Sanctuary AI’s Phoenix. 

Accenture and Schaeffler jointly developed PoC to show how AI-based simulations have the potential to change factories and distribution centers. NVIDIA Omniverse is used by Accenture to simulate digital twins to optimize facility layouts, reduce commissioning times, and improve human-robot collaborative efforts. These simulations allow Schaeffler AG to analyze and decide on the best level of automation while enhancing operational efficiency. 

“Tomorrow’s factories require complex collaboration between humans, industrial automation systems and multi-robot fleets. By using Mega and NVIDIA Omniverse to simulate and test various types of robots at scale in industrial digital twins, Accenture and Schaeffler are reinventing their industrial operations with physical AI", said Mike Geyer, Head of Digital Twins at NVIDIA.

In addition, Schaeffler and Accenture plan to test humanoid robots in digital twin environments for the refinement of automation with material handling and AI-driven learning towards workflow execution. With the help of Avanade, Accenture uses Microsoft Fabric to optimize their robotics operations through real-time data insights to enhance performance, minimize congestion, and support intuitive, AI-driven shop-floor management. 

This collaboration is fast-tracking Schaeffler's journey toward highly automated, intelligent manufacturing, supported by AI and digital twin technology, for the next generation of industrial efficiency.

“As a leading motion technology company, Schaeffler leverages disruptive innovations such as physical AI, digital twins, and humanoid robots to enhance operational excellence across our global manufacturing network. In collaboration with strong partners like Accenture, we constantly explore how disruptive technologies from NVIDIA and Microsoft can increase our flexibility and efficiency. This is how we want to jointly shape the production of the future", said Andreas Schick, Chief Operating Officer at Schaeffler AG.

Patrick Vollmer, Global Industry Group Lead, Industrials, Accenture added, "Physical AI is reinventing industrial automation as it offers efficient ways to train and control entire fleets of AMRs, mobile adaptive manipulators and general-purpose humanoid robots. Our collaboration with Schaeffler, Microsoft and NVIDIA shows how clients and strategic partners can co-innovate on turning emerging technologies into solutions to help manufacturers tackle flexibility, productivity and workforce challenges".