KION announced a strategic equity investment in Zikoo, a Chinese provider of pallet storage robotics. The two companies will collaborate on high-density pallet storage systems, warehouse robotics, and intelligent warehouse software platforms. KION’s brand company Linde Material Handling (China) and Zikoo jointly launched the AI Smart Warehouse, which integrates Zikoo’s pallet-handling robots, high-speed lifting systems, and intelligent software platforms. Using AI algorithms, the system enables multi-robot coordination and intelligent orchestration of warehouse workflows, increasing storage space utilization by approximately 30 percent compared to traditional automated warehouse systems. Zikoo, founded in 2017, specializes in pallet storage robotics and has delivered over 500 projects worldwide across more than 20 industries. On April 3, 2026, KION Group and Cel Group held a strategic cooperation signing ceremony at the Xiamen factory. Cel Group, a leading logistics service provider in Malaysia and Singapore, will prioritize Linde’s material handling equipment and automation solutions. Linde Automation tailored a four-way shuttle rack system for Cel Group. This signing marks a milestone, highlighting KION’s strength in smart logistics. It will further deepen its global automation layout. On Dec 15th, the 2025 (12th) Gaogong Robotics Annual Conference was successfully held. Linde Automation won the “Enterprise of the Year” award of the Gaogong Golden Globe Award, thanks to its scene-adaptation capabilities that span across all industries and its profound technological accumulation. Linde Automation’s CTO, Huang Yongchang, was invited to attend the event and delivered a speech, sharing practical achievements in the field of flexible automation as well as future strategic plans, thereby injecting new impetus into the development of the industry. On October 28, CeMAT ASIA (Asia International Logistics Technology and Transportation System Exhibition) kicked off in Shanghai. KION Group’s brand, Linde, participated under the theme of “The Path of Harmonious Logistics,” created a massive 1,600-square-meter indoor and outdoor exhibition area. This area comprehensively showcased one-stop logistics solutions in scenarios that combine manual and automated operations, providing a panoramic display of the future landscape of intelligent logistics. Wang Zhijian, General Manager of Shandong Heavy Industry Group; Ma Changhai, Deputy General Manager of Shandong Heavy Industry Group, Chairman and General Manager of Weichai Group; Rob Smith, CEO of KION Group; and Chingpong Quek, CTO & President KION Group ITS APAC, attended the event. On the opening day, the Linde booth was bustling with people and exuded a lively atmosphere. At the highly anticipated opening ceremony, Rob Smith, CEO of KION Group, was invited to take the stage. Guided by the host, he took the baton. As he waved his arm, a melodious symphony filled the air, and Linde’s handling robots sprang into action. Performing automated collaborative operations in harmony with the beautiful melody, they precisely completed tasks such as storage, retrieval, handling, and stacking. This performance broke the traditional, cold, and mechanical impression of industrial equipment, presenting the audience with a precise and aesthetically pleasing industrial art performance. Rob Smith, CEO of KION Group, delivered a speech, stating, “This exhibition is an important strategic showcase for KION Group in the Asian market. China is not only a crucial market for KION Group but also a vital engine for its global innovation. We have combined German heritage with Chinese intelligent manufacturing to establish a solid localized business system in China, continuously enhancing KION’s overall competitiveness on a global scale.” Indoor Exhibition Area | Immersive Experience: The Perfect Fusion of Virtual and Reality in the “Future Warehouse” Upon entering the indoor exhibition hall, visitors are first greeted by KION’s multimedia interactive digital screen. This touchscreen integrates all products and industry solutions from the KION Group. Visitors can select work scenarios according to prompts, and the system will intelligently match and generate customized logistics solutions. This intuitive and convenient digital interaction method has attracted a large number of visitors to stop and experience it. In the AI Innovation Space area, KION Group showcased its future warehouse model, developed in collaboration with NVIDIA and Accenture, for the first time in Asia. Inside the exhibition area, four forklifts in operation simulated a human-machine hybrid warehousing scenario, reproducing the entire process from inbound storage to outbound delivery. By using AI cameras to capture real-time data on-site and intelligently identify cargo types and plan routes, the entire area operates efficiently and smoothly. Meanwhile, through digital twin technology, the real-time dynamics of the exhibition area are reconstructed 1:1 in a virtual world and displayed synchronously on a large screen at the site. KION Group fully leverages artificial intelligence technology to comprehensively reshape the reasoning, perception, and decision-making capabilities of logistics systems, designing the ideal layout for future warehouses for customers in different industries. On the other side of the AI Innovation Space, it was equally bustling. Linde has created a miniature automated logistics smart factory here, accurately simulating real production line and warehouse environments. Powered by Linde’s MyMA full-stack application software as the intelligent management hub, with a three-tier software system architecture, it connects the three functional exhibition areas of storage, distribution, and picking, comprehensively showcasing Linde’s “software-hardware integrated” one-stop flexible automated logistics solutions. Visitors can observe automated operation modes in different scenarios up close and ex