# Kuka SE & Co. supplies the likes of Volkswagen AG and Airbus SE with industrial robots that handle production line tasks.

*robotics · news · 2026-04-08 · Bloomberg*

## Key points

- Kuka SE & Co. warns European industrial firms lag in AI adoption compared to global rivals.
- CEO Christoph Schell highlights legacy systems and reluctance to change as key barriers.
- Many European factories remain disconnected and underutilize data for production efficiency.
- Kuka, owned by China's Midea Group since 2016, serves major clients like Volkswagen and Airbus.

Many of Europe’s industrial companies are too slow to adopt artificial intelligence, putting faster-moving global rivals in a position to overtake them, according to German-Chinese robotics maker Kuka SE & Co. The burden of legacy systems and a reluctance to change mean many factories remain disconnected and make poor use of their data, said Chief Executive Officer Christoph Schell . Kuka, bought by China’s Midea Group Co. in 2016, supplies the likes of Volkswagen AG and Airbus SE with industrial robots that handle production line tasks.

**Companies:** Volkswagen AG, Airbus SE, Kuka SE & Co., Midea Group Co.
**Countries:** Germany, China

[Read the full story on Bloomberg](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-08/robot-maker-kuka-eyes-us-asia-as-europe-s-factories-lag-on-ai)

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