Fifty years of history in industrial automation. A milestone that Tiesse Robot celebrates in 2026 by looking back at a journey that began in 1976 with Alfredo Gavazzi and Luigi Daprà.
Two young men, little more than twenty years old, who founded TECNOMECC: a company focused on the construction of special-purpose machinery and industrial automation.
These were the early years of the company’s move into industrial robotics and, in 1980, it developed its first robotised welding application with a Kawasaki Unimate robot.
As its applications grew, TECNOMECC progressively expanded into new areas of robotics and, in 1987, chose Kawasaki Robotics as a partner to further develop this path. SIROBOT was established as the company responsible for representing Kawasaki Robotics in Italy, becoming one of the foundations of what would later become Tiesse Robot. Maurizio Ravelli joined SIROBOT in 1988 as a partner and Managing Director, beginning a career in industrial robotics that continues today as CEO of Tiesse Robot.
In 1992, Tiesse Robot was established through the coming together of TECNOMECC and SIROBOT, with Kawasaki participation. From that point onwards, the company continued to grow, expanding its expertise, applications and international reach: new production facilities, the development of after-sales services, international expansion and thousands of robotised systems installed across different industrial sectors.
This journey led to the milestone of 10,000 robots sold in 2019 and, in 2022, to the establishment of the Kawasaki Robotics Southern Europe HUB. In 2025, the story entered a new chapter when Kawasaki Robotics acquired a majority stake in Tiesse Robot, further strengthening a partnership that has lasted for more than 30 years.
The growth achieved over these fifty years has been significant, yet some elements have remained closely connected to the company’s origins. Today, Tiesse Robot is an international company, with expertise and facilities that extend far beyond those of its early years, while still retaining a family dimension that spans generations. The children and grandchildren of the two founding families are still part of the company: a continuity that connects the history of Gavazzi and Daprà with Tiesse Robot’s present and future.
An anniversary to share
The official 50th anniversary celebration took place on Friday 11 September. In the afternoon, Tiesse Robot’s headquarters in Visano welcomed representatives of local institutions, industry associations, the press and Kawasaki Robotics, with delegations from Kawasaki Europe and Kawasaki Japan.
An emotional Maurizio Ravelli, CEO of Tiesse Robot, opened the event with a speech reflecting on the company’s fifty-year history and the people and values that have shaped its growth. This was followed by an address from Paolo Panizza, Mayor of Visano, highlighting the relationship between Tiesse Robot and the area where the company was founded and has grown.
Yasuhiko Hashimoto, CEO of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, also made a significant contribution, bringing Kawasaki’s greetings and reflecting on the value of a partnership built over more than three decades.
A special moment was dedicated to the people who have contributed to Tiesse Robot’s growth. Maurizio Ravelli, Davide Daprà, Marco and Andrea Gavazzi, together with Yasuhiko Hashimoto, Yoshimoto Matsuda, Kenji Bando and Shuhei Kuraoka, presented awards to employees who have shared more than thirty years of professional experience and shared value with the company.
A tangible way of bringing the focus of the 50th anniversary from machines to people, and from technology to the expertise built over time.
The international dimension Tiesse Robot has developed also emerged during the more informal moments of the day, with partners from the different countries where the company operates. Before the inauguration of the Welding Competence Centre, the ceremony also featured an exchange of gifts between Tiesse Robot and some of its international partners. Those taking part included Daniel Cerveny, Director of Tiesse Prague; Andrzej Garbacki of ASTOR, Kawasaki Central Eastern Europe HUB; Xabier Iturralde of Larraioz, Kawasaki Iberian HUB; and Giovanni Bordignon of Tiesse SUL Brazil.
Jan Sørensen of BILA, from Denmark, brought a smile to guests with a particularly original gift: a red LEGO Ferrari.
These moments also tell an important part of Tiesse Robot’s fifty-year story: growth built through technologies and production systems, but also through professional relationships that have developed into long-standing partnerships based on trust and collaboration.
A centre for robotised welding, together with Kawasaki Robotics
An important part of the day was dedicated to the inauguration of the Welding Competence Centre, presented by Andrea Gavazzi and focused on the development of expertise and technologies for welding applications.
The Centre has been established as a platform for development, testing, research and training activities, with systems dedicated to different welding technologies and an existing cell equipped with a Kawasaki collaborative robot. The project also includes new robotic configurations and equipment that will progressively expand its testing and development capabilities.
The aim is to strengthen Tiesse Robot’s expertise in robotised welding, develop new solutions and share knowledge and technologies across the Kawasaki Robotics network, while providing training and support to distributors and customers.
Following Andrea Gavazzi’s presentation, the Welding Competence Centre was officially inaugurated with the ribbon-cutting ceremony led by Maurizio Ravelli and Yasuhiko Hashimoto.
Opening a facility dedicated to welding in the company’s 50th anniversary year has particular significance. Robotised welding has been part of Tiesse Robot’s history since its earliest experiences in industrial robotics; today, it is once again at the centre of an investment focused on innovation, experimentation and knowledge sharing.
The celebrations
The day continued at Cantine di Bottenago, where employees, partners and guests came together for dinner and the more informal part of the celebrations.
The 11 September celebration was an opportunity to look back at the journey so far, recognise the contribution of the people who made it possible and present the tools with which Tiesse Robot intends to continue building its future.
Fifty years of people, technology and evolution, with a strong history behind us and new projects already in motion.