Strategic Partnership in Robotics Neura Robotics and Seco Partner on the Production of AI Computing Modules

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The companies are pooling their expertise to mass-produce cognitive robots for industrial use. The focus is on a distributed architecture that enables real-time decisions to be made directly at the machine joints.

Neura Robotics, based in Metzingen, Baden-Württemberg (Germany), and the Italian technology company Seco entered into a strategic partnership on September 7, 2026. Their shared goal is to industrialize Physical AI—the integration of AI into machines—from Europe and bring it into widespread use. A key component of the agreement is the joint design, development, and manufacture of electronic compute modules. These are intended for use in Neura’s cognitive robots, which include, among others, the 4NE1 humanoid robot.

The hardware foundation for these computing modules is provided by Dragonwing processors from the U.S. semiconductor manufacturer Qualcomm. As an existing partner in Qualcomm’s ecosystem, Seco brings its expertise in edge computing and industrial electronics manufacturing to the project. This combined expertise is intended to ensure that the hardware is produced reliably and in high volumes to meet the robotics manufacturer’s medium-term scaling needs.

Distributed Intelligence Through Smart Limbs

Technologically, Neura relies on a structure modeled after the human brain and nervous system. Instead of having all computing processes controlled by a central unit, the company uses the so-called “Smart Limb” concept to distribute sensors and computing power throughout the entire robot. Intelligence is thus embedded in the machines’ joints, sensors, and actuators. This enables extremely fast, real-time response times directly at the edge. This is a fundamental prerequisite for robots to be able to work safely and reliably in the immediate vicinity of people without endangering them.

The Dragonwing processors used provide the necessary computing power directly within the machine, and are specifically designed for energy efficiency and low latency. The collaboration with Seco aims to industrialize these modules from an electrical engineering perspective in such a way that they can be seamlessly transitioned into scalable mass production and maintain consistent hardware quality.

Focus on Semiconductor and Electronics Manufacturing

Beyond pure hardware development, the partners have identified additional joint projects for the future. A particular focus is on the application of cognitive robots in semiconductor and electronics manufacturing. In this specific industrial segment, Neura and Seco plan to use real-world production data in the future to develop and train new automation solutions. The approach involves machines learning complex production processes through the use of artificial intelligence. This practical knowledge will then be translated into scalable automation capabilities so that the technologies can be deployed in semiconductor factories worldwide over the long term.

The collaboration aims to establish a closed-loop data and learning cycle: European industrial processes serve as the starting point; physical AI learns from these real-world conditions; and the resulting capabilities can then be applied globally. To further advance these developments, the companies also plan to build a so-called Neura Gym in Italy. This facility is intended to serve as a central training hub for cognitive robots in Southern Europe and to further accelerate the collection of industrial operational data for future software iterations.

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