BelgiumRetail and e-commerce2023 – ongoingColruyt Group
Self-driving pallet trucks in distribution centres, developed with STILL
Colruyt ran 30 self-driving pallet trucks for two years, then sold 70% of the R&D unit to KION to take the technology to other customers
Problem
The Belgian retailer, with more than 700 stores, wanted to automate pallet moves inside its distribution centres and had used KION equipment for years.
Approach
Colruyt and KION's STILL brand put the first self-developed self-driving pallet truck into service in 2023. The trucks use cameras, safety LiDAR and localization technology to move pallets point to point. In July 2026 KION took 70% of Colruyt's R&D subsidiary Smart Innovation, and Colruyt kept 30%. A trailer loading and unloading proof of concept finished at Colruyt in early 2026.
Results
Takeaway
Colruyt moved from daily use of 30 trucks to selling a majority stake in the R&D unit to bring the technology to other customers. Neither company published throughput or cost savings.
Categories
- Size
- Large enterprise
- Industry
- Retail and e-commerce
- Business function
- Logistics and supply chainProduction and quality
- Innovation type
- Process innovation
- AI technology
- Robotics and automationComputer vision
- Adoption
- Co-developed with a partner
- Evidence
- Vendor's case study
Sources
Source summaries
The trade outlet reports that Colruyt sold 70% of its R&D in self-driving pallet trucks to KION, owner of STILL, for added value of about €20 million. The first truck went into service in 2023 and the vehicles ran for two years at two distribution centres. Neither company disclosed performance figures.
KION says the pallet truck platform has run for two years at Colruyt with 30 vehicles in daily use. It adds that a trailer loading and unloading proof of concept was completed in early 2026. KION says it acquired 70% of Smart Innovation NV and gives no price or performance figures.
Full details are in the original sources.
