The acquisition is an essential part of ABB's growth strategy. The purchase agreement was signed on July 19 and the transaction is expected to close during the summer. Both parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

ASTI was founded in 1982, is headquartered in Burgos, Spain, and employs more than 300 people in Spain, France and Germany. The company is majority owned by CEO Veronica Pascual Boé. Other shareholders include European growth investor Keensight Capital.

Today, the company supports one of the largest AMR fleets in Europe and has a broad customer base in 20 countries in the automotive, logistics, food and beverage, and pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries. Since 2015, the company has experienced nearly 30 percent annual growth. In 2021, Asti expects sales of around $50 million.

Portfolio goes beyond autonomous mobile robots

Asti's AMR portfolio includes autonomous vehicles including tractors, goods-to-person solutions and forklifts, as well as a comprehensive software offering ranging from vehicle navigation and control to fleet and order management and cloud-based systems for seamless tracking.

This offering will be integrated into ABB's portfolio of robots, machine automation, modular solutions and software applications including Robotstudio, a simulation and programming tool from ABB Robotics.

Sales of autonomous mobile robots growing rapidly

Global sales of autonomous mobile robots are expected to reach about $14 billion by 2025, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 20 percent, according to ABB's internal analyses. ABB therefore plans to expand sales and service of Autonomous Robots to 53 countries worldwide.

Asti's headquarters in Burgos,Spain, will become the headquarters of ABB's AMR business unit, headed by Asti CEO Veronica Pascual Boé. Core functions, which include R&D, engineering and manufacturing, will continue at the Asti sites.

ABB will significantly expand production capacity at the AMR business headquarters to support planned sales growth in Europe and the Americas. In addition, ABB will establish an AMR center for Asia at its new robotics factory, which will open in Shanghai in 2022, covering the entire value chain including manufacturing to unlock the growth potential for AMR in China and Asia. In China, the world's largest robotics market, the market for AMR is expected to reach $1.8 billion annually by 2025.