Accenture and Mujin Corp. have established Accenture Alpha Automation, a joint venture (JV) for the manufacturing and logistics industries. Accenture Alpha Automation will help companies automate their management infrastructure with data-driven solutions. Specifically, these solutions will seamlessly combine data from manufacturing and logistics operations with management data. Accenture owns 70% of the joint venture, while Mujin owns 30%.

Mujin provides intelligent automation solutions for industrial sites. Mainly, its intelligent robotics platform enables companies to deploy industrial robotics systems without the typical complex advanced settings and integration, including motion settings and peripheral equipment, often required for other robotics systems.

Mainly, the joint venture will combine Mujin’s experience in industrial robotics and automation with expertise from Accenture’s digital engineering and manufacturing service, Industry X. Accenture Alpha Automation’s solutions will integrate previously disconnected operational data from manufacturing and logistics sites with business management data. Among them are company-wide supply chain status, financial information and market information. Both companies will bring these solutions to clients to help them make faster, better decisions. Also, they aim to hyper-automate their customers’ manufacturing and logistics processes.

Atsushi Egawa, who leads Accenture’s business in Japan, said: “Manufacturing is the cornerstone of Japanese industry. Driving sophistication and efficiency in manufacturing and the logistics that support manufacturing is essential for Japan’s further growth. By teaming with Mujin, a leader in robotics technology, Accenture will be able to help our clients take advantage of AI and robotics to connect data throughout the manufacturing and logistics value chain, further contributing to the data-driven transformation of Japan’s important manufacturing and logistics industries.”

Mujin Inc. CEO, Issei Takino adds: “Our mission is to make industrial robots intelligent and easy to use so they can improve productivity and quality and help create new value in an aging society. The new joint venture, which builds on our agreement with Accenture, will utilize our robot automation technology to drive a paradigm shift in the manufacturing and logistics industry and bring new value to customers first in Japan, then around the world.”

Accenture has also invested directly in Mujin through Accenture Ventures, marking its first Project Spotlight investment in Asia. Project Spotlight is an engagement and investment program focusing on companies that create or apply disruptive enterprise technologies. The program offers extensive access to Accenture’s domain expertise and its enterprise clients. It helps technology companies adapt their solutions to the enterprise market and scale faster and more effectively.

Accenture Alpha Automation is headquartered in Tokyo and started operation on January 15.