Humanoid robot in the industrial production of automotive components

Sapa, Italy-based manufacturer of components for automotive and sustainable mobility, and Wandercraft, French global leader in autonomous robotics, announced a partnership to implement and scale deployment of Calvin-40, Wandercraft’s autonomous heavy-payload, modular humanoid robot, in Sapa’s industrial operations. This milestone builds on Wandercraft’s strategic partnership with Renault Group, one of the world’s most advanced automotive manufacturer and key ally in scaling Wandercraft’s robotic platforms. Wandercraft’s partnership with Sapa expands their industrial network, uniting perspectives from original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and Tier 1 suppliers to accelerate deployment and learning in real-world environments.

This announcement marks Wandercraft as the first global robotics company to publicly expand its humanoid footprint across an OEM and a Tier 1, with planned deployments in two countries, within just five months of its reveal. It also marks a first for Italy, as Sapa becomes the country’s first industrial manufacturer to formally commit to humanoid robotics as part of its automation roadmap. These developments position Europe as a new global champion in humanoid robotics, not only advancing world-class engineering, but also proving that physical artificial intelligence can deliver real industrial value when developed and deployed with intention.

“We don’t believe in building a general-purpose robot and hoping customers figure out how to use it,” said Matthieu Masselin, CEO and co-founder of Wandercraft. “Our strategy is deliberately use-case driven, meaning Calvin-40 is modular by design and will build towards that generalizable future starting from the point of usefulness. Partnering with SAPA fits perfectly into our strategy to first deploy use cases that are valuable across the entire industry and support the full value chain as it evolves toward the future of automation.”

The first phase of implementation will focus on high-precision, repetitive movement of large and heavy parts, for which Wandercraft’s humanoids are differentiated.

“Sapa has always stood at the forefront of innovation, not just in manufacturing components, but in driving leadership in industrial automation,” said Management Team of Sapa Group. “Our recent acquisition of Megatech and this partnership with Wandercraft reinforce that mindset. This is about investing in what’s next – not just in how we manufacture parts, but in how we run the factory itself. We are more motivated than ever to explore humanoid robotics and operational efficiencies that scale across tasks and countries, enabling Sapa to lead the next wave of manufacturing transformation starting right here in Italy”..