In addition to rising energy prices and fragile supply chains, Upper Austria’s companies first and foremost mention the lack of skilled workers when they are asked which factors are inhibiting growth. The Linz start-up Danube Dynamics has developed an approach to get this problem under control. The company, founded in 2020, specializes in programs with artificial intelligence and devices that are used in robots and machines in industry and are intended to advance automation.
“Put simply, we teach robots to see, learn and think,” says Nico Teringl, who studied at the University of Applied Sciences in Hagenberg and founded the company with his fellow students Philipp Knaack and Edwin Schweiger. A team of around 20 employees develops its own artificial intelligence algorithms and small devices that are attached to robotic arms and machines. As a result, the machines would “think ahead, optimize processes and relieve employees,” says Teringl.
Potential in Upper Austria
The company founder is convinced that automation can help to counteract the shortage of skilled workers. Firstly, employees could then take care of other activities that were less monotonous. And secondly, employees are needed to adjust the machines and operate them correctly.
In Upper Austria, the Linz-based automation specialist Keba and the Innviertel electronics manufacturer Ginzinger are among the customers of Danube Dynamics. Teringl sees a lot of potential. Because the corporate landscape consists largely of small and medium-sized enterprises, the degree of automation is not yet that advanced. The question of costs should not be an excuse, says Teringl. “A robot arm costs 100,000 to 120,000 euros, but usually pays for itself after just one year.”
In June, the start-up secured a six-figure investment from private investors. The Research Promotion Agency also contributes money.
Source: Nachrichten
