INDUSTRY NEWS
New JV for humanoid robots in Europe
Funditec Intelligence, Funditec’ s technological unit specialising in artificial intelligence for physical autonomous systems, and Fagor Arrasate, a cooperative of the Mondragon Corporation and a specialist in customised design and manufacturing of industrial equipment / automation systems, have reached a strategic agreement to create Primus Robotics.
“ This new company will be dedicated to the design, development and manufacture of industrial humanoid robots capable of operating in highly demanding environments with strict requirements for precision, safety and availability. The new joint venture( JV), equally owned( 50 / 50) by both organisations, aims to become the first to offer industrial AI‐driven robotic solutions of European origin. To achieve this, it combines Funditec’ s expertise in applied artificial intelligence with our engineering, industrial automation, robotics and advanced manufacturing capabilities,” said Fagor Arrasate.
It highlighted the Basque Country as one of Europe’ s best-positioned industrial regions to lead the development and production of this new generation of humanoid robots. The robots, it said, will be designed to operate in complex environments, integrating safely and efficiency with advanced machinery, production systems and logistics processes.
Intelligent robots for industrial processes
The company’ s first product will be Primus P1, a humanoid robot conceived to perform manipulation tasks, operational support, maintenance and assistance in production processes.
“ Thanks to its proprietary edge-AI operating system, Primus OS, these systems will enable the expansion of automation into environments originally designed for human interaction, facilitating seamless collaboration between robots, operators and industrial machinery,” added Fagor Arrasate.
It is anticipated that there will be an initial industrialisation phase with a production capacity of around 200 robots per year. The plan is then to progressively scale up to more than 3,000 units annually. This phase will take place in a 2,500m ² facility at Fagor’ s plant in Mondragon. The first functional prototype of Primus P1 is expected by late 2027. After Primus P1, new versions will follow with expanded capabilities for additional sectors.
“ The creation of Primus Robotics comes at a time when European industry is accelerating the integration of humanoid robots into processes originally designed for human intervention. Automotive companies have already launched pilot projects in European plants, confirming that humanoid robots are no longer experimental but have become a new category of industrial systems,” said Fagor Arrasate.
“ This agreement allows us to accelerate the transition towards real production environments and to strengthen Europe’ s capability to develop what we call physical AI— artificial intelligence oriented towards autonomous physical systems,” concluded Alejandro Echeverría, General Director, Funditec Intelligence. n
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:// fagorarrasate. com
https:// funditec. es / intelligence /
The birth of polymorphic manufacturing
Fyous, an advanced manufacturing technology company in Sheffield( UK), is pioneering polymorphic manufacturing machines, a new production paradigm designed to allow manufacturers to produce bespoke parts at near-mass-production prices using 3D computer-aided design( CAD) models and reconfigurable tooling systems.
“ Featuring tens of thousands of precisely controlled pins that reconfigure to create temporary tools in minutes, polymorphic machines can function as injection moulds, forming tools and work-holding fixtures. By eliminating the need for fixed tooling, which often takes months to deliver and accounts for up to 98 per cent of part costs at low-tomedium production volumes, these machines support rapid prototyping and more economical production of bespoke products,” Fyous told ISMR.
Joshua Shires, CEO of Fyous, said:“ Polymorphic manufacturing is a fundamental change in production capability that delivers the agility of additive manufacturing with the
Fyous’ polymorphic moulding tools.
quality, scalability and throughput associated with high-volume processes. This foundational shift in manufacturing technology represents the dawn of a new manufacturing category, making it possible to produce high volumes of unique, one-of-a-kind items as quickly and profitably as traditional mass-produced batch processes.”
The University of Sheffield AMRC’ s additive manufacturing( AM) team has been working with its partners on a workholding project, which looked at the feasibility of two holding systems focusing on the machining applications of additively manufactured components for the aerospace sector based on industrial need. Prompted by partner interest in the start-up’ s new workholding methodology, the AMRC team worked with Fyous to assess its viability. This project resulted in a detailed feasibility report, outlining various advantages and constraints of the emerging technology.
Shires added:“ Working with the AMRC has helped further validate use cases for polymorphic moulding. Its technical expertise and facilities allowed us to assess the process in a real engineering context, giving us confidence that the technology is suitable for advanced, precision-led manufacturing applications.”
Fyous presented the technology benefits in a new whitepaper on: www. fyous. com / post / fyous-in-the-news-polymorphicmanufacturing-whitepaper-launch n
www. fyous. com
14 | ismr. net | ISMR April 2026