From a start in a small wash kitchen in Bavaria, Germany, Adidas has grown globally. The company is now taking the initiative to move production back to its German headquarters by launching Speedfactory.
Adidas was started by Adi Dassler, who wanted to provide athletes with the best possible equipment. Adidas has grown into the global Adidas Group, which consists of Adidas, Reebok, TaylorMade, and CCM. Each brand of the Adidas Group works together to create apparel that aims to help athletes perform better, play better, and feel better.
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Speedfactory is set to open in 2016 in Ansbach, Germany. The factory will be mostly staffed by robots, which means the factory will be able to produce and restock shoes more quickly, and eventually it will be fully autonomous. The robotic technology brings high performance quality and unique designs to shoes. Speedfactory will begin producing 500 pairs of running shoes, and in the future there will be high-volume production for customers.
“These first 500 pairs will help us set the scene for large-scale commercial production so each consumer can locally get what they want, when they want it, faster than ever,” explained Gerd Manz, Vice President of Technology Innovation for Adidas. Speedfactory was set-up “to propel a network of automated production which brings cutting-edge technology to cities around the world.”
The opening of the Speedfactory will not only produce high-performance sporting goods faster, it will also have a positive impact on the environment. Adidas plans on creating these factories to be closer to customers which will result in less shipping emissions and a reduction of the use of adhesives. This will just add to Adidas’ existing eco-friendly operations.
“Speedfactory combines the design and development of sporting goods with an automated, decentralized and flexible manufacturing process,” Herber Hainer, CEO of the Adidas Group said. “This flexibility opens doors for us to be much closer to the market and to where our consumer is. Ultimately we are at the forefront of innovating our industry by expanding the boundaries for how, where and when we can manufacture our industry-leading products.”
After the introduction of Speedfactory, Adidas wants to give consumers more high-tech experiences from manufacturing shoes to in-store customization and digital experiences. Customers will have the ability to make customized shoes for buyers. Adidas is even introducing the idea of manufacturing a 3D-printed shoe from plastic ocean waste. With technological advancements, Adidas, and hopefully other companies, will continue to not only enhance customer experiences, but leave a smaller carbon footprint.