In September 2025, under the joint leadership of Wang Zeli, a teacher from the Department of Management Science and Engineering at the East China University of Science and Technology Business School, and Ke Liu, the director of admissions for the MEM Master of Engineering Management program, 14 teachers and students from the college embarked on a nine-day "Smart Manufacturing and Technological Innovation: A Deep Study Tour to Germany". Themed "Seeing a Different Germany", this event focused on the frontier trends of industrial intelligent transformation and technological innovation. As a representative of an alumni enterprise, Dr. Cao Longjun, the founder of Ruiyan Technology New Materials (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd., participated in the study tour throughout, demonstrating the company's commitment and support for the deep integration of industry, academia, and research through practical actions.

Teachers and students from the East China University of Science and Technology Business School visited six well-known German enterprises and institutions to closely observe the practical achievements of "smart manufacturing" in Germany and experience the combined charm of "craftsmanship spirit + technological innovation". During this research trip, they visited well-known enterprises such as the BMW factory, Franka Robotics, PwC, BASF, the Munich Innovation Center of Zhejiang Tsinghua Yangtze River Delta Research Institute, and Laika, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the intelligent transformation practices in German manufacturing.

Meet Franka Robotics: a key member of the Siasun Robot Group

Among the numerous enterprises visited, Franka Robotics, as an important member of the global intelligent robotics group Siasun Robot Group, demonstrated cutting-edge technologies of intelligent robots to the teachers and students of Huli Business School. Established in 2016 and formerly known as Franka Emika, Franka Robotics is a pioneer in the field of robotics with haptic humanization design. Since 2023, it has been a part of the Siasun Robot Group. The company is committed to building an intelligent future, allowing AI systems with physical interaction capabilities to be deeply integrated into human life scenarios, and continuously creating social value in key areas such as healthcare, smart manufacturing, and home services.

Technical exchange: Co-founders will provide full-process reception

The corporate visit was fully hosted by Dmitrij Forssilow, co-founder of Franka Robotics. Dmitrij Forssilow graduated from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) with a major in robotics and embedded control. As one of the co-founders and early developers, he played a pivotal role in the development of Franka Research 3 (FR3). FR3 is a world-class force-controlled perception robot system, specifically designed for artificial intelligence and embodied intelligence robot research. It is widely used in the field of embodied intelligence by renowned laboratories such as Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, and Tsinghua University.

Dmitrij Forssilow introduced to the teachers and students of HUST the brief history of intelligent robot development, the company's development process, and its future development direction. He stated that as machines gradually acquire the ability to act in the physical world, companies engaged in this field will occupy a dominant position in terms of innovation, adaptability, and development. Artificial intelligence is transitioning from the virtual to the physical realm, and Franka Robotics possesses unique advantages that can accelerate the deployment and implementation of intelligent robot systems in real-world scenarios.

Technological Ecosystem: Diana 7 robotic arm fully supports FCI

Dmitrij Forssilow highlighted that the Diana 7 robotic arm, a product of Agile Robots, now fully supports the Franka Control Interface (FCI), achieving compatibility with the FCI control interface. This integration complements the Franka Research 3 robotic arm, enhancing its load capacity and reach, enabling a broader range of application scenarios, and further enriching the Franka Robotics ecosystem.

After the speech, Dmitrij Forssilow accompanied the teachers and students from HUST to visit the company's intelligent robot product exhibition center. Everyone engaged in in-depth discussions centered around the automated production lines in their respective industrial fields, combining insights from the fields of robotics, artificial intelligence, and automation.

REAL NEW MATERIAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY COMPANY LIMITED: Deepen cooperation between industry, academia, and research to drive industrial innovation

REAL NEW MATERIAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY COMPANY LIMITED has always regarded the deep integration of industry, academia, and research as an important path for driving industrial innovation. The company focuses on the market development, engineering services, and terminal scenario applications of innovative technologies and zero-carbon materials, and is committed to integrating artificial intelligence with new material technologies to promote the implementation and transformation of green technology in industrial practice. As a full participant and alumni enterprise in the East China University of Science and Technology's study tour to Germany, Dr. Cao Longjun, the founder, understands the cutting-edge trends and technological applications of global intelligent manufacturing and appreciates the development model that integrates the "craftsmanship spirit and technological innovation" of German manufacturing. This study tour not only broadened the international vision of enterprise managers but also accumulated valuable experience in exploring the industrial practice path of "AI+new materials", further promoting the company's strategic layout in material technology innovation and green technology application.

Further reading:

About Franka

Franka Robotics, formerly known as Franka Emika, is a robotics platform company headquartered in Munich, established in 2016. It stands as a pioneer in the field of robotics technology, specializing in haptic humanization design. The company designs, develops, and produces robots in Germany, offering user-friendly solutions for the automation of AI and robotics research and application scenarios. All robot products from Franka Robotics are equipped with easy-to-use intelligent software, intuitive robot application frameworks, and safety-certified hardware. The Franka World online platform connects customers, partners, developers, and robots, providing centralized management and remote control of Franka Robotics robots, as well as access to a continuously updated ecosystem.

REAL NEW MATERIAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY COMPANY LIMITED

It is a professional fine chemical technology innovation-oriented service enterprise located in Hong Kong. It provides chemical product supply, warehousing and logistics, green technology and environmental services, brand management and marketing of new chemical materials, e-commerce, and chemical technology consulting services. The enterprise has long adhered to the business benchmark of "creating value and possessing value". Based in Hong Kong and relying on Hong Kong's scientific and technological innovation, it adopts a global perspective and forward-looking technology, always upholds the concept of sustainable development, applies cutting-edge green environmental protection technology products, promotes industry progress, provides customers with innovative, reliable high-performance materials and sustainable energy solutions, and contributes to achieving a zero-carbon future.