thyssenkrupp and GlobalLogic forge strategic alliance to accelerate industrial transformation through Physical AI

• GlobalLogic and thyssenkrupp agree to a strategic partnership to deploy autonomous robotics and Physical AI across global heavy industry operations.
• Four-way alliance between thyssenkrupp, GlobalLogic, Method (a GlobalLogic company), and Hitachi America R&D creates the first “Lab-to-Scale” Physical AI pipeline for heavy industry and serves as a global model for the mutual exchange of cutting-edge expertise.
• Physical AI solutions designed to eliminate engineering bottlenecks, protect frontline workers, and accelerate green energy project delivery at scale.

thyssenkrupp AG and GlobalLogic Inc., a Hitachi Group Company, announced the commencement of a strategic alliance today, designed to recalibrate the operational core of heavy industry by driving the deployment of autonomous robotics and Physical AI.

This alliance combines thyssenkrupp’s deep industrial and operational expertise with Hitachi’s unique end-to-end innovation stack to help accelerate digital transformation across the industry. This “Lab-to-Scale” pipeline integrates foundational breakthroughs from Hitachi America R&D, digital strategy and design from Method as well as enterprise-grade software engineering from GlobalLogic. The pipeline connects on-site data seamlessly to AI-driven autonomous control, thereby eliminating engineering bottlenecks and enhancing operational safety, while establishing a leading-edge global model for the heavy industry sector.

Moving beyond digital experimentation, the two global conglomerates are planning to co-create a suite of “Physical AI” solutions that translate complex data into measurable industrial ROI. The solutions will focus on safety, servitization, and acceleration of the global energy transition.

Realizing the “Implementation Year”

The partnership focuses on high-stakes, frontier innovation across two primary workstreams:

• The Data Intelligence Layer and Autonomous Operations: To bridge the gap between factory floor operations and business logic, GlobalLogic will deploy a data intelligence layer for thyssenkrupp based on its Unified Data Layer (UDL) architecture. The UDL provides a common data and semantic foundation that integrates and links operational technology (OT) data from the field with IT data from business operations. It is an essential technology for ensuring the smooth operation of autonomous robotics and drones that require real-time data processing, semantic understanding, and AI-driven decision-making. This infrastructure serves as the prerequisite for a new generation of autonomous robotics and drones. In the hazardous environments and production sites of thyssenkrupp, autonomous “Robocams” and drones are to be deployed to handle high-risk inspections and precision measurements to prevent worker injuries. Designed to enhance safety and efficiency, these systems augment the workforce by removing employees from dangerous zones and providing them with higher-fidelity data to manage complex industrial processes.
• Speed to Decarbonization Meeting ambitious decarbonization targets requires a significant increase in engineering speed. The alliance is planning to deploy an intelligence platform to automate the capture of “offline” and unstructured complex technical data. By translating complex documentation into actionable intelligence, thyssenkrupp aims to shorten the “Quote-to-Cash” and technical engineering cycles for its green energy projects. This digital acceleration will ensure that the administrative and technical complexity of the energy transition does not become a bottleneck for execution.

“thyssenkrupp is in the midst of its most significant transformation in history. By joining forces with Hitachi and GlobalLogic, we are ensuring that we are backed by the world’s most advanced digital capabilities. This alliance is a cornerstone of our strategy to lead the industrial sector into a sustainable, data-driven future,” says Miguel López, CEO of thyssenkrupp AG and thyssenkrupp Decarbon Technologies. “Decarbonizing heavy industry is a race against time. The integration of advanced AI allows us to better manage the immense technical and administrative complexity of the energy transition, moving from unstructured documentation to actionable intelligence at a pace that was previously impossible.”

“The future will be defined by organizations that can seamlessly harness the power of advanced AI, edge computing, data and inference, and combine it with deep industrial expertise.” said Srini Shankar, President & CEO of GlobalLogic and CEO of Hitachi Digital Services. “Our extensive credentials in Physical AI, from servitization to industrial automation to operations intelligence, will complement thyssenkrupp’s leadership in heavy engineering to create a lasting competitive advantage.”

“Physical AI marks the next step in industrial transformation – bringing intelligence from the digital world into real-world operations. By enabling machines to sense, decide, and act autonomously, it unlocks entirely new levels of efficiency, safety, and scalability,” said Nadja Håkansson, COO of thyssenkrupp Decarbon Technologies and CEO of thyssenkrupp Uhde. “For thyssenkrupp Decarbon Technologies, physical AI is not just an innovation topic, but a core driver of our future business and our ability to deliver sustainable, high-performance solutions. Our collaboration with Hitachi accelerates this path and strengthens our leadership in next-generation industrial technologies.”

“Real innovation happens at the intersection of empathy and engineering. We are bringing together brilliant minds from all involved organizations to de-risk these complex industrial transformations, ensuring that technology always serves the people on the front lines of global industry,” said Timothy Morey, Head of Method, a GlobalLogic company.

About thyssenkrupp
thyssenkrupp is an international industrial and technology group with more than 93,000 employees. In the fiscal year 2024/2025, the company generated sales of around €33 billion in 48 countries. Its business activities are bundled in five segments: Automotive Technology, Decarbon Technologies, Materials Services, Steel Europe and Marine Systems. With extensive technological know-how, outstanding engineering competence and a high level of innovative strength, the group is a technology leader in many of its markets, developing solutions for the challenges of the future. Around 3,900 employees work in research and development worldwide. They are mainly focused on climate protection and the energy transition, the digital transformation in industry and the mobility of the future. The patent portfolio of thyssenkrupp currently includes approximately 17,000 patents and utility models, underlining the Group’s leading position in technology and innovation. thyssenkrupp is pursuing ambitious climate protection targets and actively optimizing its own energy and climate efficiency. At the same time, the Group is supporting its customers and industry partners to help in achieving their climate targets, thus playing a key role in advancing the green transformation. www.thyssenkrupp.com

About Hitachi, Ltd.
Through its Social Innovation Business (SIB) that brings together IT, OT (Operational Technology) and products, Hitachi aims to be a global leader in continuously transforming social infrastructure through digital, contributing to a harmonized society where the environment, wellbeing, and economic growth are in balance. Hitachi operates worldwide across four sectors – Digital Systems & Services, Energy, Mobility, and Connective Industries – as well as a Strategic SIB Business Unit focused on new growth areas. With Lumada at its core, Hitachi creates value by combining data, technology and domain knowledge to solve customer and social challenges. Revenues for FY2025 (ended March 31, 2026) totaled 10,586.7 billion yen, with 606 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 290,000 employees worldwide. www.hitachi.com.

About GlobalLogic
GlobalLogic, a Hitachi Group Company, is a leading digital engineering partner that helps the world’s most forward-thinking companies design and build innovative, AI-powered products, platforms, and digital experiences. Since 2000, we’ve been at the forefront of the digital revolution, now accelerating clients’ transitions into tomorrow’s AI-driven businesses by integrating experience design, complex engineering, AI, and data expertise. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, GlobalLogic is a Hitachi Group Company operating under Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), which contributes to a sustainable society with a higher quality of life by driving innovation through AI and technology as the Social Innovation Business. www.GlobalLogic.com

Method Inc., the digital product consulting arm of GlobalLogic Inc., was founded in 1999 and pioneered the field of experience design. Its strategists, designers, and engineers simplify the complex, crafting experiences that improve lives and transform businesses through enterprise scale and concierge service.  www.method.com

Media contacts
thyssenkrupp AG Communications
Frank Grodzki
Head of Communications
Telefon: +49 (1522) 1830 826
Email: press@thyssenkrupp.com

Leif Erichsen
Head of External Communications & Governmental Affairs
Telefon: +49 (1520) 806-5511

GlobalLogic
Amanda Naiman
Head of Communications
amanda.naiman@globallogic.com