Today, we’re excited to share that Foxconn and Intrinsic are launching a joint venture that will in partnership make the intelligent factory of the future a reality. AI-enabled robotics holds enormous potential for the manufacturing sector and how things are made on the factory floor, where operations need to be more flexible, adaptive and cost effective in the future.

‍

Specifically in electronics assembly – an industry experiencing massive growth with the AI boom, but also some of the most persistent robotics issues in manufacturing – there is ample opportunity to modernize production, and enable automation for an entirely new segment of the electronics market. There is more demand than ever in electronics manufacturing for the likes of server trays, GPUs and data centers – yet AI server manufacturing, for instance, is still a mix of rigid automation and manual production.

‍

The focus of the multi-phased, US-based joint venture will be achieving a step change in electronics assembly and manufacturing broadly. The goal will be to shift from product-specific automation solutions requiring significant re-engineering across product generations, to more general-purpose intelligent robotics – as well as automating previously manual processes, with the eventual goal of full factory orchestration and automation. 

‍

Initially our collaboration will cover a range of critical use cases across assembly, inspection, machine tending and logistics applications. Intrinsic Flowstate, a web-based developer environment, will provide a common tool for Foxconn and Intrinsic teams to leverage industry-leading AI capabilities, such as the Intrinsic Vision Model (IVM), to automate newly possible solutions in electronics assembly.

‍

‍

Building the factory of the future together

‍

Young Liu, Chairman and CEO of Foxconn, said: "In working with Intrinsic, we are able to tap their deep expertise in AI-driven robotics. This synergy complements our global manufacturing leadership, enabling us to collaboratively unlock the factory of the future."

‍

Wendy Tan White, CEO of Intrinsic, said: “Together we’re working to bring the value of AI into the physical world. By marrying Intrinsic’s expertise in AI-driven robotics software – as well as Alphabet’s deep expertise in applied research and platform development – with Foxconn’s longstanding expertise with worldwide production, world-class facilities, and vision for the future of manufacturing, we will accelerate the adoption of AI where it is most needed and valuable today. The partnership with Foxconn provides an incredible opportunity to scale these solutions broadly.”

‍

Dr. Zhe Shi, Chief Digital Officer of Foxconn, said: “Intrinsic has led the way when it comes to building an AI-integrated platform and AI-enabled robotic capabilities that can scale. In working together, we’ll be able to ensure Foxconn's Smart Manufacturing platform will enable intelligent automation fully across our factories, from data management to robotics, AI, and digital twins. This partnership will help revolutionize our factory operations, making them even more flexible, adaptable, skill-based, and scalable. From individual tasks at the robot level, to full production lines and plant management, we’re excited to be building the factory of the future together.”

The problem we’re working to solve

‍

Traditionally, manufacturers have relied on either manual production, or rigidly hard-coded robotics and automation systems that require extensive expertise to design, program and maintain. The cost and complexity of these systems limits the use of robots to predictable, predetermined, high volume tasks - where robots aren’t able to adapt to process variability, learn from new data, or optimize their own tasks. Today, it is often technologically and economically infeasible to change the processes of existing workcells and production lines. Even if the product design, the market demand, your customer base or supply chains change, adapting quickly is typically not possible or affordable. In many cases, this means human labor for repetitive tasks is still the only real option for flexibility and cost, which presents other problems.

‍

To deliver the production flexibility and productivity we think is necessary for more efficient and sustainable ways of making things, teams from Foxconn and Intrinsic will work together to integrate the capabilities of Intrinsic’s AI platform with Foxconn’s Smart Manufacturing platform. Our goal is to achieve adaptive, intelligent robotics solutions that can elevate efficiency even further across Foxconn’s facilities and across the ecosystem. Together, we’re identifying the most challenging problems and valuable opportunities to address in the short term, including tasks deemed too difficult, costly, or seemingly intractable to solve for. 

‍

‍

Unlocking the value of AI in automation

‍

Since our beginning, Intrinsic has believed in the transformative potential of intelligent robotics. We’re excited by the opportunities that the Foxconn team brings to build solutions that can benefit from AI-enabled robotics, platforms and scale.

‍

Both teams understand how valuable intelligent robotics will be across the manufacturing value chain – from electronics to metal fabrication, logistics to automotive, and other industries in between, the introduction of practical AI is shifting the automation equation. By deploying AI in day-to-day automation, from solution development through operations, we will help manufacturers realize value in measurable and reliable ways.

‍

This partnership marks a significant milestone in the journey toward the intelligent factory of the future. The teams at Foxconn and Intrinsic are excited for the road ahead, and are committed to pushing the boundaries of intelligent automation, delivering better access to AI-enabled robotics and growth across the broader electronics manufacturing industry.

‍

‍