Catalonia to gain new advanced robotics and physical AI hub with ABB Robotics

ABB Robotics has presented new details of its future Technology and Operations Center in Sabadell (Catalonia), which will become a hub for the development of advanced robotics and physical AI solutions in Catalonia.

Scheduled to become operational in 2028, the center will bring together engineering, machine vision, software, and autonomous mobile robot (AMR) teams in a single location, alongside training facilities and collaborative spaces where ABB specialists, customers, and technology partners will be able to develop and test new industrial applications.

“Robotics and physical AI are entering a new era in which artificial intelligence, software, and industrial expertise must advance together. Our new center in Sabadell will allow us to connect these capabilities and deliver innovative, industrial-grade physical AI solutions at scale to customers across industries and around the world,” said Marc Segura, President of ABB Robotics.

Segura presented the project at ABB Robotics’ current Customer Innovation Center in Sant Quirze del Vallès, together with Sergio Martín, Managing Director of ABB Robotics for Spain and Portugal; Joan Romero, Executive Director of ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment; Jordi Voltas, Director of the Terrassa School of Industrial, Aerospace and Audiovisual Engineering (ESEIAAT); and Ramon Alberich, President of the Sabadell Chamber of Commerce.

ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment Executive Director Joan Romero said that ABB's new center is "a flagship project for the Vallès and for Catalonia, a benchmark and very much needed." Romero noted that "ABB has been established in Catalonia for many years and continues to invest in and place its trust in the country," and stressed the project's strategic importance, "which has a major impact on the rest of the industrial base because it brings disruption closer to companies."

“With this new center in Sabadell, we are continuing to expand ABB Robotics’ expertise in industrial robotics, vision systems, software and autonomous mobile robots”

Sergio Martín, Managing Director of ABB Robotics for Spain and Portugal

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From Sabadell to global markets

The new campus will be built in Can Guiart, Sabadell, on a site of approximately 60,000 square meters. Its purpose-built facility of around 15,000 square meters will combine laboratories, a training center, a customer experience area, a technology showroom and spaces for developing and assembling robotic solutions.

Bringing different disciplines together will enable ABB Robotics to accelerate the development and testing of new solutions with customers and technology partners before their deployment at industrial scale.

The teams based in Sabadell will work on technologies including AI-powered machine vision, an important component in the development of more autonomous and versatile robots capable of performing a wider range of tasks in more environments, faster, more safely and more intelligently.

The center will also have an international role. In addition to centralizing ABB Robotics’ management and operations for Spain and Portugal, Sabadell will host functions with global responsibilities, including global solution centers for the automotive industry and specialist teams working in service robotics and digital solutions.

From Catalonia, these teams will develop advanced assembly applications, industrial process automation and intralogistics systems based on autonomous mobile robots. The center will also support the development of AMR technology at ABB Robotics’ plant in Burgos, connecting engineering and manufacturing capabilities with customer needs.

The solutions developed at the center will serve sectors including automotive, logistics, electronics and consumer goods in Spain and Portugal as well as international markets.

“With this new center in Sabadell, we are continuing to expand ABB Robotics’ expertise in industrial robotics, vision systems, software and autonomous mobile robots,” said Sergio Martín, Managing Director of ABB Robotics for Spain and Portugal. “Choosing Sabadell ensures the continuity of ABB Robotics’ presence in the Vallès area, maintains proximity to our existing teams and strengthens our connection with Catalonia’s industrial and technology ecosystem.”

Connecting global innovation with Catalan talent

The new center will also strengthen ABB Robotics’ links with Catalonia’s research, education and technology ecosystem.

The company plans to expand its collaboration with universities, technology centers, training organizations and companies to develop new capabilities in robotics, automation, software and artificial intelligence.

"Promoting this new Technology and Operations Center in Sabadell is a commitment to the region and to an industry that generates knowledge, develops technology and needs highly qualified talent. At the public university, we train engineers with the preparation and rigor that this challenge requires. The fact that ABB Robotics is counting on the university for this step highlights the connection between academia and industry to meet the country's need for professionals," said Jordi Voltas, Director of the Terrassa School of Industrial, Aerospace and Audiovisual Engineering (ESEIAAT) at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC).

These local partnerships will be combined with internationally focused projects and collaborative spaces where customers and specialists can work together on new industrial solutions.

About ABB Robotics

ABB Robotics is one of the world’s leading robotics companies and offers an integrated portfolio of industrial robots, collaborative robots and AI-powered autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), supported by its software technologies.

The company works with businesses across sectors including automotive, electronics and logistics to improve productivity, resilience, flexibility and efficiency.
ABB Robotics is developing and commercializing a new generation of Autonomous Versatile Robotics (AVR™), working with technology partners across a global innovation ecosystem to combine efficient hardware with intelligent, industrial-grade software.

The division employs approximately 7,000 people worldwide.