A New Era of Technology Service Provider for a Changing World

By Carlos Osuna, Head of Panasonic Connect’s European R&D Team.

Carlos Osuna
Head of Business Unit
Panasonic Connect Europe

European businesses find themselves at a critical juncture. Across the whole supply chain from retail and logistics to manufacturing, the challenges are piling up - disruptions, rising operational costs, restaffing and the pressing need for sustainability dominate boardroom agendas.

At the same time, new waves of innovation from Generative AI to robotics and IoT offer unprecedented opportunities for transformation. They can be used to reimagine how entire industries operate. The caveat? They are not plug-and-play solutions. The journey to full-scale adoption can be complex and fraught with risk.

To unlock the potential of these innovations, businesses increasingly need partners who can navigate complexity, integrate diverse technologies and deliver solutions that work seamlessly in real-world environments.

A New Model

This demand is giving rise to a new breed of technology service provider. Enter Panasonic Connect Europe’s Research & Development team, established to deliver exactly this kind of service. Unlike conventional R&D functions, this team doesn’t simply develop new technologies in isolation - it collaborates directly with customers to address their most pressing operational pain points.

The team’s philosophy is rooted in one key principle: listen first. By engaging with businesses to understand their specific needs, Panasonic then brings together new technology solutions and tailors them to solve real-world problems. This customer-centric model sets it apart from competitors and reflects a broader trend of customisation in the technology service space.

Cross-industry Supply Chain Solutions

And it’s applying this expertise across European industries:

Retail:
Panasonic’s digital execution of Fresh Food Markdowns in electronic price labels and instore displays uses AI and IoT to tackle one of the sector’s most persistent issues - food waste. By automating markdowns and optimising inventory management, this system reduces waste while improving profitability.
Logistics:
From digital warehouses powered by hybrid robotics to transportation solutions that ensure temperature compliance and optimise delivery routes, Panasonic is reimagining logistics for a smarter, more sustainable future.
Manufacturing:
By integrating its edge systems with Blue Yonder’s AI, Panasonic delivers end-to-end solutions that enhance efficiency and reduce downtime in manufacturing environments. Here Panasonic draws on its own extensive experience as an electronics manufacturer – ranging from the production of PCB materials and components via automated Pick-and-Place machines used to produce the PCB of the future through to groundbreaking technologies such as its TOUGHBOOK rugged mobile devices and Lumix cameras.

What unites these solutions is their focus on integration. Cameras, sensors, platforms, and software work together seamlessly, creating a cohesive ecosystem that delivers real value by bringing AI to the Edge.

Progress Without Peril

One of the essential elements of the organisation’s approach is a focus on Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) - a strategy borrowed from the agile development world. At its core, the MVP approach ensures that businesses can start small, see results quickly, and minimise risk.

Rather than designing sprawling, all-encompassing systems that take years to implement, it begins with a streamlined solution addressing a single critical issue. This MVP is typically delivered within three months. From there, the solution evolves iteratively, with input from the customer at every stage. A proof of concept follows within six months, and a full-scale implementation can be completed within a year.

This step-by-step approach offers two key advantages:

It ensures businesses see measurable results quickly, building confidence in the solution.
It minimises disruption, allowing organisations to adapt incrementally rather than overhauling their processes overnight.

Backed by global expertise

What makes Panasonic Connect Europe uniquely qualified to take on this challenge is its blend of local expertise and global resources.

By basing its R&D team in Europe, Panasonic has ensured proximity to the businesses it serves. It understands local regulations, market conditions and industry-specific challenges.

This focused team is then backed by over a century of engineering excellence and supported by more than 300 R&D specialists in Japan.

Through its subsidiary, Blue Yonder, the team is able to tap into AI capabilities that are unmatched in their ability to optimise supply chains, predict market dynamics, and automate decision-making.

This unique combination of assets delivers solutions that are not only innovative but also practical and scalable.

An Invitation to Innovate

For business decision-makers eager to see these solutions in action, Panasonic Connect Europe offers a unique opportunity. Its Customer Experience Centre (CXC) in Munich serves as a showcase for its latest technologies, allowing businesses to explore how they can be applied to their specific challenges.

The R&D team is also actively seeking partners for live trials, offering businesses the chance to co-create solutions that are tailored to their needs. This collaborative approach not only ensures that solutions are fit for purpose but also gives companies a direct role in shaping the future of their industries.

A Partner for a New Era

As European businesses grapple with increasingly complex challenges, the need for a new type of technology service provider has never been clearer. With its focus on integration, customisation and rapid delivery, Panasonic Connect Europe is proving to be exactly the kind of partner that industries need in this transformative era.