Run AI-powered factories

At Hannover Messe, KUKA as a leading global automation company is teaming up with Microsoft to show what modern manufacturing looks like when robotics, the Microsoft cloud, and AI work together seamlessly.

Ulrike G?tz

April 20, 2026

Technology

Reading Time: 2 min.

Our KUKA robots—from the mobile KMR to the cobot LBR iisy—will demonstrate in Microsoft’s live production environment how material flow, handling, and processing are intelligently orchestrated. The demo brings to life how software and data integration can achieve true flexibility and transparency in the factory. A strong partnership that shows: automation is becoming simpler, more scalable, and ready for the next era of industrial AI.

KUKA and Microsoft partner to democratize robotics through AI and cloud technologies.

In this partnership we co-engineer cutting-edge solutions for intent-based robotics, scalable AI training, and physics simulation on Azure. Jointly we are developing solutions like iiQWorks.Copilot, which uses Azure OpenAI, Azure AI Search, and Azure cloud infrastructure to enable natural?language robot programming and faster simulation workflows. This collaboration accelerates automation adoption, reduces engineering complexity, and strengthens KUKA’s digital ecosystem with secure, scalable, enterprise?grade AI capabilities.

“Microsoft and KUKA share a long-standing partnership rooted in technological innovation - from early Windows-based robot controls to today’s work across cloud, IoT, and AI-powered robotics. We now see a compelling opportunity to jointly shape the era of Physical AI by combining Microsoft’s cloud and AI platforms with KUKA’s deep expertise in robotics and industrial automation. Together, we aim to unlock new levels of intelligence, flexibility, and real-world impact for customers across industries”, says Christian Schwaiger, Technology Strategy Lead at KUKA Group.

Learn more about the AI-Powered Factory at Hannover Messe 2026 on the Microsoft Blog.