Italy: €50 million to Comau for research and development in robotics, advanced automation and digital technologies for various industrial sectors

This article is published in association with European Investment Bank.

• Financing in support of Comau’s R&D activities
• Investments in Italy at Comau’s facilities in Turin and Bari, to boost Europe’s industrial competitiveness
• The operation is being backed by InvestEU and is in line with TechEU, the EIB Group’s initiative aiming to mobilise €250 billion over the next three years to foster innovation in Europe.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Comau have signed a €50 million finance contract to support the Turin company’s research, development and innovation activities in the fields of robotics, advanced automation solutions, machine tools development, and digitalisation for various industrial sectors: from batteries, both automotive and stationary, to aerospace, construction, renewable energy and logistics. The agreement was announced today by EIB Vice-President Gelsomina Vigliotti and Comau CEO Pietro Gorlier.

The operation is supported by InvestEU, the European Union’s investment programme, through which the EIB has already unlocked more than €4 billion in Italy under the umbrella of TechEU, the EIB Group’s €70 billion programme to accelerate innovation in Europe through equity, quasi-equity, loan and guarantee investments.

“Supporting Europe’s industrial innovation and transition to a more digital, sustainable and competitive production model is a priority at the heart of the InvestEU programme, of which the EIB Group is the main implementing partner. Investing in advanced robotics, automation and e-mobility will boost Europe’s leadership in technology, contribute to the creation of skilled jobs and support European companies in the major industrial transformations currently taking place,” said EIB Vice-President Gelsomina Vigliotti.

The interventions will be concentrated mainly in Italy (Turin and Bari),. The investments are designed to develop automation solutions for various industrial sectors, strengthening the know-how of one of Europe’s leading advanced industrial automation and robotics companies and supporting the competitiveness of Europe’s value chain in advanced manufacturing technologies.

“Comau constantly invests in the development of innovative competencies and technologies. These are a key driver for the growth of the European manufacturing system, enabling companies to compete globally in sectors of particular importance to the present and future of industry, such as batteries, aerospace, construction, logistics and renewable energy,” noted Pietro Gorlier, CEO of Comau. “The support of the European Investment Bank gives us greater strength to pursue our sustainable development strategy, aimed at designing and producing advanced automation solutions that enable us to meet the challenges of a market marked by profound uncertainty and rapid technological transformation.”

A key element of the investments is the expansion of Comau’s applications in the renewable energy and hydrogen fuel cell sectors. In parallel, the funds made available by the EIB are intended to support the reorientation of activities in the automotive sector towards advanced manufacturing automation solutions for batteries and battery recycling.

Thanks to this EIB financing, Comau will also benefit from greater diversification of funding sources, longer maturities, thus speeding up implementation of the business plan.

Background information

The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight key priorities, we finance investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union, and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world.  The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security. All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, as pledged in our Climate Bank Roadmap. Almost 60% of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects directly contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation, and a healthier environment. Fostering market integration and mobilising investment, the funds made available by the Group unlocked over €100 billion in new investment for Europe’s energy security in 2024 and mobilised a further €110 billion for startups and scale-ups. Around half of the EIB’s financing within the European Union is directed towards cohesion regions, where per capita income is lower than the EU average.

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The InvestEU programme provides the European Union with long-term funding by leveraging substantial private and public funds in support of a sustainable recovery. It also helps to crowd in private investment for the European Union’s strategic priorities such as the European Green Deal and the digital transition. InvestEU brings all EU financial instruments previously available for supporting investments within the European Union together under one roof, making funding for investment projects in Europe simpler, more efficient and more flexible. The programme consists of three components: the InvestEU Fund, the InvestEU Advisory Hub, and the InvestEU Portal. The InvestEU Fund is deployed through implementing partners that will invest in projects using the EU budget guarantee of €26.2 billion. The entire budget guarantee will back the investment projects of the implementing partners, increase their risk-bearing capacity and thus mobilise at least €372 billion in additional investment.

Comau is a worldwide leader in delivering advanced automation solutions across diverse industries. Together with Automha, a fully owned company specializing in global intralogistics and warehousing automation, Comau is enabling companies of all sizes in almost any industry to unlock the full potential of automation, robotics, and digital technologies – and to increase their efficiency, flexibility, and competitiveness in rapidly growing markets. 

Comau’s portfolio includes products and systems for vehicle manufacturing, with a strong presence in e-Mobility, as well as cutting-edge  robotics and digital solutions for a variety of industrial sectors, such as shipyards, food&beverage, logistics, pharma, and renewable energies. Comau also offers project management and consultancy services and has an internationally recognized training Academy. Automha develops intelligent, high-performance automated storage and retrieval handling systems that optimize efficiency and reliability across diverse industries. Headquartered in Turin, Italy, Comau has an international network of 7 innovation centers and 11 manufacturing plants that span 11 countries and employ 3,800 people. Automha, headquartered in Bergamo, Italy, has 4 subsidiaries and manufacturing facilities in both Italy and China, which employ a total of 280 people.