Artificial intelligence and robotics drive the innovations proposed by the Group’s three divisions

“Fruit Logistica represents an excellent opportunity for us to listen to the needs of the fruit and vegetable industry and to deal with its protagonists directly. It is also an opportunity to present our innovations dedicated to fruit and vegetable processing plants around the world,” reported Nour Abdrabbo, sales director of Gruppo UNITEC, echoing the words President Angelo Benedetti addressed to the press at Fruit Logistica 2025.

Above: the press conference took place inside the Group’s large exhibition space. Below: President Angelo Benedetti with Sales Director Nour Abdrabbo.

Benedetti highlighted how the Group attended the exhibition to connect with markets and customer needs, in line with its mission: ‘We Work for Your Results‘. The pillars on which Unitec’s activity is based include in fact the connection to the fruit and vegetable industry, the processing of over 50 types of fruit, and an entirely “homemade” development and updating of technologies that include the algorithms on which the machine learning of Artificial Intelligence vision systems – such as Cherry Vision 3.5 AI or Hazelnut Vision 4.0 AI – operates.

Cherry Vision 3.5 AI is UNITEC’s innovative technological solution that uses state-of-the-art Artificial Intelligence models to recognize recent cuts and splits on cherries. In addition, it also allows to: 1) reliably detect soft fruit thanks to the inclusion of UNI AI SOFT technology; 2) detect external defects with very high accuracy in fruit without stems and in those with marked suture lines; 3) precisely grade cherries in the case of fruits with an irregular, non-rounded shape and with the presence of flowers.

The continuous dialogue with current and potential customers about their present and future needs is what “nourishes” the innovation of the Group, which has strengthened its connection with the fruit and vegetable industry over its 100-year history (celebrated in 2024).

“Our enthusiasm in facing new challenges – from the impact of climate change, which increases the qualitative variability of harvests, to international instability, which prolongs transit times to destination markets – stems from our passion for research and dedication to customer service,” the explains sales manager.

UNITEC has also further innovated hazelnut grading solutions with the Hazelnut Vision 4.0 AI system, which uses Artificial Intelligence models developed in-house to classify hazelnuts with or without shells, raw or roasted, with the highest accuracy. The system detects defects more accurately, as well as shape, size, and color.

The Group boasts one hundred years of experience and an R&D division unparalleled in the industry which, thanks to its three UNITEC, UNISORTING, and UNI ROBOTICS divisions, allows it to improve process efficiency and reduce costs and labor requirements.

A moment during the press conference.

In Berlin, the Group presented several novelties with a focus on the increasingly advanced integration of the latest generation of Artificial Intelligence to refine and customize system performance, thanks to a solid foundation in hardware and vision that UNITEC has developed in-house and, for this reason, constantly improved over time.

There are many innovations on the front of internal quality classification systems, with systems developed entirely by the company’s R&D department dedicated to specific fruits in the UNIQ range: UNIQ Blueberry, UNIQ Cherry Tomato, UNIQ Kiwi, UNIQ Peach, UNIQ Tangerine, UNIQ Plum, UNIQ Cherry, UNIQ Apricot, UNIQ Orange, UNIQ Pomegranate.

The AI systems developed early and in advance of other competitors, are trained on a large dataset and are capable of self-learning and increasing refinement in their selection processes. In addition, any defects are to be monitored on the fruit depending on the needs of individual customers, allowing for a high degree of output customization.

The Group’s team is constantly growing, with young (average age of 34), dynamic, and highly professional staff. “We work with fruit which is by nature changeable and complex to standardize. However, without careful choices made according to the target audience, it is not possible to build the loyalty of end consumers, as they are used to the consistency of taste offered by industrial food brands. The challenge is precisely this – the possibility of guaranteeing a constant and satisfying consumption experience, which is an essential prerequisite for any branding initiative.”

The UNI ROBOTICS brand of UNITEC introduces an innovative solution that, thanks to robotics, is able to guarantee complete automation by eliminating the use of manpower and improving the efficiency of the entire production line. This innovative solution analyses the boxes on pallets and calculates the optimum pick point to ensure correct handling of the boxes and protect the produce inside them. The robotic island is also equipped with a system that automatically scans the picking area, adapting to changes in the shape, position, and height of the crates via the intuitive graphic interface shown on the display.

As far as robotics and automation of field and warehouse operations are concerned, UNITEC is seeing a growing demand from various markets around the world to reduce repetitive, tiring, and potentially dangerous work. The first field trials of robotic prototypes for harvesting operations are planned for 2025, with the commercial launch possible as early as 2026.

For more information: www.unitec-group.com