Cimcorp, a global pioneer in automation and intralogistics, has released a 30-minute feature documentary to commemorate its 50th anniversary year. Entitled ‘The Future of Automation’, the film captures Cimcorp’s story through the reflections of its employees, past and present. The documentary also features comments from Erik Rosenlew – son of the company’s founder, Gustav Rosenlew – and Mirka Leino, a leading robotics academic, on the legacy of Cimcorp, and it concludes with a look forward to the future of automation. “This documentary is a tribute not only to the innovation and perseverance of Cimcorp,” says Veli-Matti Hakala, Cimcorp’s CEO, “but to the evolution of automation itself.”
From local roots to global growth
With rare archival footage, the film retraces Cimcorp’s roots to the 1970s when it began as an industrial tool factory in Pori, Finland, and charts the company’s journey to its position today as a global system integrator. From its dominance in the automation of picture tube manufacturing for the TV and computer sectors in the 1980s and 1990s, to delivering breakthrough technologies in the automotive, tyre, grocery retail and lithium-ion battery industries this century, Cimcorp has pioneered the application of robotics and automation to many areas of business.
There have been challenges as well as successes over the years, but Cimcorp’s unstinting commitment to innovation has allowed the company to diversify and enter new markets. From picture tubes to paint tinting, and from ship welding to warehousing, Cimcorp has always embraced the opportunity to apply automation in new ways. This versatility has allowed the organisation to break into emerging sectors and adapt to the evolving world.
Key milestones remembered
Cimcorp began life as Oy Rosenlew Ab and the ethos of going global dates back to these early days, as the company was eager to grow outside of Finland. Branching out from industrial tool production, the company sold its first commercial robot in 1975. It was this development that really marked the birth of Cimcorp, although the organisation did not adopt that name until 1986, when it was acquired by Wärtsilä. “The first robots in Finland were made at Rosenlew,” says Mirka Leino, Principal Lecturer at the RoboAI Research Center at Satakunta University of Applied Sciences (SAMK) in Pori, in the film. “They took things forward. They played a significant role.”
Cimcorp continued its international expansion in the 1980s and 1990s, with success in the picture tube industry funding its growth. “The fact that we dared to start international manufacturing right away was really significant,” comments Kari Ollila, CEO from 1987 to 2003, in the documentary. “It taught us to be international right away.” Acquisition by Swisslog in 1996 gave Cimcorp greater resources and a broader market reach. However, dark times were just around the corner, as the development of flat-screen technology meant that the picture tube industry collapsed almost overnight. “When Cimcorp was bought, its turnover was about 40 million,” remembers Seppo Collander, Cimcorp Board Member. “A large part of that came from picture tube automation lines, and it disappeared all at once, which was a very big hit to the company.”
Cimcorp’s resilience and innovation led the company to expand its projects in both the food and beverage and tyre industries. Its efforts paid dividends, particularly in tyre manufacturing. “That sector really began to take off,” says Tero Peltomäki, CEO from 2021 to 2024. “Things really started to look up. The tyre industry saved us completely.”
After a management buy-out in 2003, Cimcorp was a Finnish company once again, with sales in the tyre industry and the warehouse and distribution sector paving the way for the successful years ahead. In 2010 Cimcorp acquired RMT Robotics to help expand its North American operations. Then in 2014 Cimcorp became a member of Murata Machinery – a large, Japanese, family-owned logistics automation business – which brought new and exciting opportunities.
Cimcorp today
Technology first developed by Cimcorp in the 1990s has proved essential to the company’s core business today. Modular robotic systems offer tyre manufacturers much-needed flexibility and scalability, while automated storage and retrieval systems and order-picking robots have revolutionised warehouse operations. With proven solutions and local customer support, Cimcorp now has offices in the USA, Canada, Finland, Germany, Spain, the UK, India and Australia.
Looking ahead
The advance of technology is relentless. As Mirka Leino explains: “The automation sector is no longer seen as an industry of its own; automation is everywhere. It has been integrated into everything we do.” The documentary ends with a glance to the future, exploring the emerging technologies – such as AI – that are poised to redefine automation.
One thing that everyone agrees has been a constant in the past 50 years and will continue to be a key element in the company’s future success is the ‘Cimcorp spirit’ – the collaborative approach of colleagues to the goal of continual improvement. It is hard to define precisely but Veli-Matti Hakala, CEO, sums it up in two words: “Innovation and friendship”.
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