Daifuku and Germany’s AFT Industries Conclude Partnership Agreement

Leveraging material handling expertise in the automotive industry to expand business

Osaka, Japan – Daifuku Co., Ltd. (“Daifuku”) and Germany-based AFT Industries AG (“AFT”) concluded an agreement to form a business partnership aimed at leveraging the material handling expertise of both companies in the automotive industry.

Daifuku and AFT will use this mutually beneficial business partnership as a way globally to open channels and secure growing demand and investment from automotive manufacturers for material handling systems.

Specifically, both companies will collaborate on a project-by-project basis by leveraging AFT Industries’ European automotive customer base, product standards and technologies, and procurement knowledge and knowhow, and Daifuku’s extensive global network encompassing sales, production and service to increase the level of our offerings to customers in the global automotive industry.

Of the partnership, Daifuku’s Automotive Global Business Head, Toshiaki Hayashi, commented, “With the rise of Connected, Autonomous, Shared and Electric (CASE) vehicles, and Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS), the automobile industry is said to be in the midst of a once-in-a-century period of major change, resulting in automotive manufacturers increasingly shifting the direction of their businesses. Viewing this change as a business opportunity, the partnership with AFT Industries will enable us to expand our Automotive business and global network to bring about continued growth.”

Heiko Hofmann, CEO of AFT Industries said, “The automotive industry is undergoing a transformation across the globe. On the one hand, Automotive manufacturers are changing into mobility providers, on the other hand, transportation must become CO2 neutral for environmental reasons. To successfully master this radical change our customers need reliable support. Together with Daifuku we have created a strong strategic alliance to provide this service worldwide and to position our business for the challenges of the future.”