HANNOVER, Germany, Feb. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Maple Advanced Robotics Inc (MARI) has won the prestigious Hannover Messe ROBOTICS AWARD 2025, recognizing its groundbreaking contributions to robot-assisted automation and logistics solutions.
The ROBOTICS AWARD, open to companies and institutions from across the globe, honours developments that set new benchmarks in automation technology. MARI’s win underlines its leadership in delivering flexible, scalable, and intelligent automation systems. The award stands as a beacon of excellence in the field of robot-assisted automation.
Magna’s Stronach Centre for Innovation partnered with MARI alongside the University of Waterloo, University of Toronto, and Toronto Metropolitan University to develop AARS. This innovative robotic solution is designed for manufacturers seeking flexible automation that adapts to evolving product mixes without requiring significant capital investments or highly trained robotics specialists. By leveraging advanced 3D vision, artificial intelligence, and collaborative robotics, AARS enables operators with minimal training to implement automatically generated robot paths. This seamless integration allows for effortless transitions between labour-intensive and hazardous tasks, even in dynamic and unstructured shop floor environments.
A key driver of this success has been the strategic investment and mentorship provided by Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen). With an investment of nearly $1.3M, NGen not only supplied critical funding but also offered strategic guidance that accelerated the development, refinement, and market readiness of AARS. This support has been instrumental in enabling MARI to push the boundaries of innovation and secure international recognition.
“This award is a testament to the hard work and ingenuity of our team and partners, as well as the invaluable support from NGen, whose investment and mentorship have been pivotal in bringing AARS to market,” said Dr.Yi Li, Co-founder and Executive Vice President of MARI. “AARS not only revolutionizes how manufacturers approach automation but also expands the role of robots across both industrial and service sectors, from large-scale production lines to specialized applications like car body repair. We are immensely proud to be recognized on this international stage.”
“All Canadians can be very proud that MARI has won Deutsche Messe’s prestigious robotics award,” said Jayson Myers, CEO of NGen. “NGen is particularly excited about the award as MARI’s AI-enabled robotics platform was one of the world-leading advanced manufacturing solutions supported by NGen funding. Congratulations to Yi Li and the MARI team!”
The recognition also highlights the robust collaboration between industry and academia, which has been instrumental in translating innovative research into practical, market-ready solutions. “Our partnership with MARI is a shining example of how collaboration among startups, research institutions and industry leaders can drive technological advancements that are both innovative and economically viable,” added Aldo Van Gelder, General Manager from Magna’s Stronach Centre for Innovation.
Magna’s recent receipt of a PACEPilot Award—stemming directly from this collaborative project—further underscores the impact of these joint efforts on advancing Canada’s manufacturing and automation capabilities.
MARI’s achievement reinforces its commitment to pushing the boundaries of what automation can achieve, fostering new opportunities for global trade, innovation, and industrial growth.
For more information about MARI and the Autonomous Adaptable Robot System (AARS), please visit https://maplerobotics.com/.
About Maple Advanced Robotics Inc:
MARI is pioneering advanced software platforms for robotics and machine vision in manufacturing. Specializing in flexible production and freeform surface processing, MARI delivers cutting-edge solutions for High-Mix, Low-Volume (HMLV) manufacturing. With its patented Physics-Informed AI, MARI enables programming-free robots to autonomously perform tasks such as polishing, spraying, inspection, and sorting.
About NGen:
NGen is the industry-led not-for-profit organization that leads Canada’s Global Innovation Cluster for Advanced Manufacturing. Its mandate is to help build world-leading advanced manufacturing capabilities in Canada for the benefit of Canadians. NGen works to strengthen collaboration among its membership of more than 5,000 manufacturers, technology companies, innovation centres, and researchers, and provides funding and business support to industry-led initiatives that aim to develop, apply, or scale-up transformative manufacturing solutions in Canada for commercialization in global markets.
Media Contacts:
Robbie MacLeod
Email: Robbie.macleod@ngen.ca
Phone: 613-297-3578
