In the latest baking technology expert interview, leading figures from the bakery industry discussed the future of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics in production. Our COO Fabian Taigel had the opportunity to talk to other industry experts about the opportunities and challenges of these technologies and showed how AIPERIA is already paving the way for the bakery of the future. Also taking part in the discussion were: Harald Burgstaller, Managing Director of König Industrial Solutions, Christian Gugenberger, Sales Manager at Stäubli Robotics Switzerland, Stefan Schütter and Dirk Waclawek from INGER Verlag, and Swen Fürer, co-owner of Aerne Engineering AG.
The use of robotics is no longer a rarity, but has increasingly arrived in the bakery. According to Harald Burgstaller from the König Group, “there is hardly a project that does not involve the use of robots”, and the added value is obvious: a shortage of skilled workers and increasing quality awareness in the industry are driving demand. In the interview, it was emphasized that robotics already performs precise tasks such as cutting or packaging products, thus not only increasing efficiency but also bringing economic benefits. Depending on the application and location, an investment in robotics can pay for itself in as little as 1.5 years, according to Burgstaller. Flexibility is also growing: robots can now be used for various tasks and offer solutions that can be valuable for both large industrial bakeries and smaller companies.
However, it’s not just robotics, but also our AIPERIA planning solution that shows how modern technologies can make everyday work in the bakery easier. “No baker buys a solution just because it says ‘AI’ on it. Ultimately, it’s always about solving a specific problem,” says Fabian Taigel in the interview. The AI-supported forecasts help bakeries to calculate production quantities efficiently, improve the availability of goods and reduce returns – a decisive competitive advantage that provides enormous relief in daily store planning.
“Our experience shows that bakeries are specifically looking for solutions that can simplify everyday processes and increase sales potential at the same time,” explains Fabian Taigel. “Our AI-based planning relieves employees by automatically calculating the optimum delivery quantity for each store. This saves our customers hours of planning time every day and allows them to reduce returns by up to 40% while ensuring constant availability of goods.” Taigel emphasizes that AIPERIA’s system creates added value from day one through fast integration and data-based optimization. “Thanks to AI, even complex store planning can be completed in seconds, and we regularly see sales increases of 3% or more – a real lever for our customers’ competitiveness.”
The look into the future was particularly exciting: the experts talked about “batch size 1”, i.e. the idea of manufacturing individual, customized products automatically, as well as about humanoid robots that could one day work in the bakery. Christian Gugenberger commented that “the potential for the use of robotics in combination with sensor technology to recognize and process baked goods is estimated to be considerable”. Even if these visions are still a few years away, the interview impressively shows how much potential there is for the future in the bakery industry.
We are delighted that our COO Fabian Taigel was part of this insightful discussion and invite you to read the full interview. The English version of the interview can be found here as a PDF attachment:
