China-based multi-robot orchestration software specialist CoEvolution Technology has supplied its Co-Pick smart warehouse system to a South Korean warehouse that supplies 417 Lotte Super stores.

The project expanded CoEvolution’s artificial intelligence (AI)-powered solutions into more than 50 settings globally.

CoEvolution says the Lotte deal was a significant milestone in the company’s expansion.

“Achieving in excess of 50 deployments is a huge landmark and we are happy to have cemented our place as a leading company in the field of multi-vendor robot fleet interoperability,” says CoEvolution co-founder and chief operating officer Michael Wang.

“Our ambitious plans will see us move far beyond this total, as manufacturing and warehousing continue to face logistics and staffing challenges that can be addressed through the use of efficient and flexible fleets of multiple robots from different vendors working together within shared environments.”

Lotte Institute of Logistics Technology president Seungkee Baek says: “We are delighted that we selected CoEvolution and Co-Pick to come on this automation journey with us. The new smart warehousing solution has increased our productivity and throughput, made optimal use of our warehouse space and works seamlessly with our operators.”

As well as a 30% increase in throughput at the South Korean giant’s Incheon warehouse since the new system was introduced, the storage capacity at Lotte’s facility has increased by 200%.

"In addition, a 20% release of manpower was achieved from heavy pallet transferring, which had previously all been handled manually (a crucial consideration in an era of ongoing labour shortages)," CoEvolution says in a statement.

Since being founded in 2019, CoEvolution has signed up customers such as Siemens, Lenovo, SF Express, DHL, Yunda, MyMRO, Ruhlamat and Wurth.

The company launched in the United States earlier this year, becoming an incorporated business and setting up an office in Seattle.

Lotte Group is a Fortune 500 company and a leading retailer in South Korea, with a significant presence in the retail, food, electronics, confectionary and other industries.