Accenture acquires Eclipse Automation, a developer of automated manufacturing robots, to build the factory of the future

On August 29, Accenture announced the completion of the acquisition of Eclipse automation, a Canadian supplier of automated manufacturing robot solutions, for an undisclosed amount.

Founded in 2001, Eclipse Automation is headquartered in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, with offices in Canada, the United States, Hungary, Germany, Switzerland and Malaysia. Eclipse Automation specializes in automated manufacturing solutions for company products in life sciences, Industrial equipment, automotive, energy and consumer products, such as electric vehicle batteries and wearable blood glucose monitors. Their solutions include automated control systems and production machines and Robots. About 800 of the company’s professionals have joined Accenture’s Industry X division’s digital engineering and manufacturing services team.

The acquisition is designed to help Accenture clients build the factory of the future, enabling Accenture to deliver automated production lines that leverage cloud, data and artificial intelligence (AI) to make factories smarter, more efficient, more sustainable and safer.

Digitization of engineering and manufacturing is the next step, according to Aaron Saint, North America lead for Accenture’s Industry X division. The combined capabilities of Accenture’s deep digital domain expertise and Eclipse Automation’s leadership in advanced automation will enable Accenture to deliver digital transformation better than ever before.

He said Accenture has recently seen many companies shift production lines back to local markets in response to supply chain shortages. Together, Accenture and Eclipse Automation have the technology and training capabilities these companies need to help the market develop a digital industrial workforce.

“Eclipse has been a leader in delivering advanced automation solutions and high-tech manufacturing technologies to clients in multiple industries for two decades, and by joining Accenture, Eclipse will also be able to Bring the benefits of data, artificial intelligence, and the cloud to your customers’ facilities at a scale no other company can achieve.

Saint sees the acquisition as a way to expand Accenture’s existing manufacturing automation and robotics capabilities. Meanwhile, Accenture is working with Brazil’s Pollux, which designs and deploys material handling and autonomous mobile robots. Pollux paves the way for Accenture to enter autonomous Robotic systems. Accenture has been building stronger technologies through acquisitions to provide clients with more complete end-to-end manufacturing solutions.