KONTOR 46 DI BONASSO MATTEO SAS

Their core work

Kontor 46 (K46) is a Turin-based technology SME specializing in robotics integration and human-robot interaction systems. They develop solutions that bring robots into real-world environments — from elderly care facilities to factory floors and construction sites. Their work spans the full chain from sensor-equipped robotic platforms to digital innovation hubs that help manufacturers adopt automation. They bridge the gap between advanced robotics research and practical deployment in sectors like healthcare, manufacturing, and construction.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

K46 began in 2015 with assistive robotics for elderly care (ENRICHME) and photonic biosensors for veterinary and food diagnostics (SWINOSTICS, I-Cuvette) — a diverse but sensor-and-interaction-focused portfolio. From 2020 onward, their work consolidated sharply around industrial robotics: flexible manufacturing, robot manipulation of deformable materials, and digital innovation hubs for construction and production. The pivot from care robotics and biosensors to factory-floor automation signals a deliberate move toward higher-volume industrial applications of their HRI expertise.

K46 is moving firmly into industrial robotics for manufacturing and construction, likely positioning itself as a robotics integration partner for Industry 4.0 projects.

How they like to work

K46 operates exclusively as a consortium participant — they have never coordinated an H2020 project. With 47 unique partners across 14 countries over just 5 projects, they join large, diverse consortia rather than small focused teams. This pattern suggests they serve as a specialist contributor bringing specific robotics or integration skills to large collaborative efforts, rather than driving the research agenda themselves.

K46 has built a broad European network of 47 partners across 14 countries through 5 projects — an unusually high ratio that reflects participation in large consortia. Their network spans a wide geographic and disciplinary range, anchored in Italy but well-connected across the EU.

What sets them apart

K46's distinctive strength is the combination of human-robot interaction expertise with real-world deployment experience across very different domains — from elderly care homes to factory floors. Few SMEs of this size have hands-on experience making robots work alongside people in both healthcare and industrial settings. For consortium builders, they offer a practical robotics integration partner who understands user-facing deployment, not just lab prototypes.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ENRICHME
  Their largest funded project (€440K), focused on the socially complex challenge of long-term human-robot interaction in elderly residential care.
• APRIL
  Addresses the technically demanding problem of robotic manipulation of deformable (flexible) materials — a frontier challenge in manufacturing automation.
• VOJEXT
  Combines digital innovation hubs with robotics for both manufacturing and construction, reflecting K46's pivot to industrial applications of HRI.