The Fondation The Ark is supporting the SmartPick.ai project, which aims to develop an intelligent platform to improve the performance of automated machines. Faced with a shortage of skilled labor and the increasing complexity of industrial equipment, this project proposes a solution combining robotics, Industrial IoT (Internet of Things), and artificial intelligence to optimize production. Based on a concrete use case, pick & place robotic cells, the project also aims to help structure a Valais ecosystem around advanced automation, Industrial IoT, and AI applied to machines. Initial results are expected by early 2027.
For several decades, much of the manufacturing industry has sought to maintain competitiveness by relocating production to low-wage countries. Switzerland has not escaped this trend, resulting in a gradual erosion of local production know-how and increased dependence on imports.
Today, this model is showing its limits. Fragile supply chains, rising requirements for quality and traceability, and the shortage of skilled labor are forcing manufacturers to rethink their approach. The next step is no longer to move production, but to reinvent competitiveness through automation and robotics. After offshoring, the next phase of industrial competitiveness lies in automation: producing locally with more efficient and flexible systems. The key challenge is now to better leverage machines and their data to stabilize processes and improve industrial performance.
Addressing automation challenges
Modern automated machines, particularly pick & place robotic cells used in the food and pharmaceutical industries, integrate a wide range of sensors: vision systems, torque measurement, speed and position tracking, pressure and vacuum monitoring, and temperature control. These systems continuously generate large volumes of data on machine behavior and process stability.
In practice, however, this data is rarely used in a systematic way. The SmartPick.ai project aims precisely to leverage this data to better understand machine behavior and detect performance deviations at an earlier stage. The objective is to stabilize production rates, reduce waste, and limit unplanned downtime, while helping operators intervene more quickly and effectively.
A project structured around two complementary components
The SmartPick.ai project is structured around two complementary components. The first involves developing and testing the SmartPick.ai platform through a demonstrator based on a pick & place robotic cell. This prototype will make it possible to validate artificial intelligence algorithms, test different failure scenarios, and optimize the user interface under conditions close to real industrial operations.
This pilot project also represents an opportunity to strengthen collaboration around advanced automation in Valais. A second component therefore focuses on mapping and mobilizing the Valais ecosystem active in Industrial IoT and industrial AI. This approach will help identify relevant industrial companies, technology providers, and academic and research stakeholders in the canton, in order to better assess their needs and maturity levels, highlight priority use cases, and structure a deployment roadmap at the cantonal level.
An industrial and academic collaboration
The project brings together several complementary partners. Pick Place, a company specializing in robotic systems, leads the development of the demonstrator and coordinates the overall project. Based in Fully, the company contributes its expertise in robotics and automated systems integration.
Several technology SMEs are also involved in developing the solution. ACP Engineering and Idletechs contribute their expertise in industrial data analysis and artificial intelligence, while B&R Industrial Automation provides know-how in control and automation systems.
CimArk will contribute to ecosystem facilitation and the identification of priority use cases within the Valais industrial landscape. Its role will also be key in ensuring technology transfer to other industrial sectors beyond pick & place applications.
A concrete regional economic impact
Beyond the initial use case focused on pick & place robots, the project paves the way for broader deployment of industrial AI solutions across the Valais economy. The roadmap developed as part of the project will identify other priority sectors, packaging machines, precision assembly lines, and continuous industrial processes, and explore their deployment potential in the coming years.
Launched in 2026, the project will run until early 2027. The first results of the demonstrator, as well as the roadmap for further development of these approaches, are expected by the end of 2026.
In brief
Total project budget: CHF 425,920
Amount invested by Fondation The Ark: CHF 196,400
Project duration: January 2026 to spring 2027
Partners: Pick Place, Idletechs, ACP Engineering, B&R Industrial Automation, CimArk