Novanta Partners with MassRobotics to Advance Next Generation of Robotics

Novanta business units Celera Motion and ATI Industrial Automation will collaborate with MassRobotics to enable new innovations in medical/surgical robotics and other applications.

Novanta Inc. announced a new partnership with MassRobotics to help create and scale the next generation of successful robotics startups. Through the partnership, Novanta business units Celera Motion and ATI Industrial Automation will collaborate with MassRobotics to develop advanced innovations in medical/surgical robotics and improve robotic productivity.


MassRobotics is an independent, nonprofit organization serving as an innovation hub for robotics and connected devices. Its efforts include providing innovative entrepreneurs and startups with the workspace and resources they need to develop and commercialize their products and solutions.

Celera Motion is an award-winning provider of motion control components and subsystems for OEMs serving a variety of medical and advanced industrial markets. It will collaborate with MassRobotics and the other companies, organizations and research institutions that it works with to create new innovations across a wide spectrum of applications, especially in medical robotics.

"We are proud to support MassRobotics in its critical mission to create advanced robotics, particularly in the medical field," said Matthijs Glastra, CEO of Novanta. "We are fortunate to be in a unique setting in the Boston area, surrounded by the world's top hospitals, medical laboratories and educational institutions. That has given rise to a unique regional ecosystem of resources — with the necessary talent, knowledge networks, infrastructure and financial resources — to produce the best in medical/surgical robotics."

Added Brian Young, Chief Human Resources Officer of Novanta: "As a Boston-based company with technology development and manufacturing in Massachusetts, Novanta is uniquely positioned to be a leader in developing robotics talent for the region."

ATI Industrial Automation is the world's leading engineering-based developer of robotic accessories and robot arm tooling. It will work with MassRobotics to develop sophisticated technological solutions that improve robotic productivity.

"We're thrilled to partner with MassRobotics to engineer the best innovations for the most demanding applications," said Robert Little, President and General Manager of ATI Industrial Automation. "We love to work with people as passionate about robotics as we are, and we see incredible opportunities ahead for exciting new advancements."

MassRobotics currently leads a cluster of the highest concentration of robotics companies in the world, with roughly 400 companies, 65 resident startups and 40 strategic partners. Through programming and events, MassRobotics helps bring together innovative startups and existing technology organizations to promote innovation and nurture the next generation of talent.

"We're excited to be part of the Boston area's robotics community, one that is leading the next wave of technology," said Kalpana Singh, President and General Manager of Celera Motion. "Together, we are simultaneously fostering and benefiting from our area's incredibly innovative culture. The future is very bright for our industry, and we can't wait to see what we'll accomplish together."

Featured Product

The ERT150 - Dorner’s Next Evolution of Edge Roller Technology Conveyors

The ERT150 - Dorner's Next Evolution of Edge Roller Technology Conveyors

The next evolution in Dorner's Edge Roller Technology conveyor platform, the ERT®150, is ideal for small and light-load assembly automation, as well as medical and medical-device assembly application. The ERT platform is the only pallet conveyor of its kind available with an ISO Standard Class 4 rating for cleanroom applications. Earning the ISO Standard 14644-1 Class 4 rating means Dorner's ERT150 will conform and not contribute to the contamination of cleanrooms to those standards. As implied by its name, the ERT150 (Edge Roller Technology) uses rollers to move pallets through the conveyor smoothly with no friction (a byproduct often seen in belt-driven platforms). The conveyor's open design eliminates concerns of small parts or screws dropping into rollers and causing conveyor damage or jamming. The ERT150 is suited to operate in cleanroom environments requiring a pallet handling conveyor. It is capable of zoning for no or low-back pressure accumulation and is ideal for automation assembly applications within industries including medical devices, electronics, consumer goods among others.