KION Group and Quicktron create strategic partnership

Posted on Aug 5, 2020 in Nuts & Bolts

• KION Group signs a distribution agreement and a memorandum of understanding on plans for joint development with the Chinese manufacturer, with the aim of expanding the offering of mobile automation solutions
• Intralogistics group is seeking a minority stake in the Chinese company
• KION Group CEO Gordon Riske: “The collaboration with Quicktron is going to further strengthen our position in the market for automated trucks”

KION GROUP AG has entered a strategic partnership with Quicktron, a young Chinese manufacturer of autonomous mobile robots (AMR) based in Shanghai.

Representatives from both companies recently met in Xiamen, China, to sign a distribution agreement as well as a memorandum of understanding on their joint development plans. Under the agreement, and effective immediately, Quicktron products are to be distributed via the global sales and service networks of the KION brands Linde Material Handling, STILL and Dematic. The arrangement expands KION Group’s global product offering of automated warehouse solutions. The leading intralogistics group also plans to acquire a minority stake of less than 10 percent in Quicktron. The partners have agreed not to disclose the size of the investment.

Gordon Riske

“We are delighted to be forming this strategic partnership with Quicktron. We can offer our customers an even more extensive product range in the automated truck segment,” said KION GROUP AG CEO, Gordon Riske, at the signing, adding, “The collaboration with Quicktron is expected to further strengthen our position in the automated truck market.”

Ching Pong Quek

“Quicktron is a leading autonomous mobile robot manufacturer in China and has been growing steadily,” notes Ching Pong Quek, KION GROUP AG Executive Board member and Chief Asia Pacific & Americas Officer. “It perfectly complements our skills and experience in the KION Mobile Automation business. The collaboration unlocks additional opportunities to participate in this global growth market and provides our customers with a unique product offering.”

“This is a historic day for Quicktron,” said Yang Wei, Quicktron CEO. “I look forward to our collaboration with the KION Group. It will enable us to harness our combined strengths to exploit market opportunities in China and around the world even more effectively.”

Quicktron was established in Shanghai in 2014 and currently employs around 400 individuals worldwide. It offers smart intralogistics solutions using technology based on artificial intelligence (AI).

The market for automated supply chain solutions is growing rapidly, both in the Asia-Pacific region and around the world. The growth of e-commerce is a significant driver of demand for supply chain solutions, including warehouse automation and solutions for sorting and for automated goods transport. Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) will thus become increasingly common. KION Group’s Mobile Automation business brings together all activities relating to the future trend of mobile automation and self-driving vehicles. Automation is one of the fields of action in the KION 2027 strategy, which also includes energy, digitalization, innovation and performance. The strategy is designed to guide the company on a path towards profitable growth and the expansion of its position as an industry leader.