Eni and Generative Bionics sign a Memorandum of Understanding to explore industrial applications of humanoid robotics

San Donato Milanese (Milan), 30 September 2026 – Eni has signed an agreement with Generative Bionics, an Italian deep-tech company specialising in the development of humanoid robots powered by Physical AI, to assess potential areas of technological and industrial collaboration in advanced robotics.

The agreement brings together Eni's industrial, technological and computing capabilities with Generative Bionics' expertise in designing and developing humanoid robotic systems, starting with GENE.01. The MoU provides for analysis, testing and evaluation activities across several areas of shared interest, to be carried out through dedicated joint workstreams that draw on the two companies' industrial and technological innovation capabilities.

Areas covered by the collaboration include identifying potential use cases for the humanoid robots developed by Generative Bionics in Eni's industrial and operational environments, with a particular focus on inspection, teleoperation, remote assistance and support in complex environments. The aim is to assess how these technologies can contribute to enhancing safety standards and operational efficiency.

Another area of collaboration will focus on identifying innovative solutions for humanoid robot components and materials, leveraging the expertise and product portfolio of Eni's chemicals company, Versalis, which currently includes base chemicals, intermediates, plastics, elastomers and chemicals from renewable sources.

In particular, the collaboration will also focus on the evolution of GENE.01's foot and footwear system. GENE.01 is the advanced humanoid robot developed by Generative Bionics. The objective is to develop lighter, stronger and scalable solutions capable of improving impact absorption, grip, durability and ease of assembly. The solutions may draw on the expertise of Versalis and Finproject, a Versalis company and a leader in the production of ultra-lightweight products.

The agreement also provides for the identification of opportunities to industrialise and commercialise the sensor-equipped footwear developed by Generative Bionics,leveraging Eni’s materials, expertise and market channels.

Eni will also assess the possible use of its industrial sites to explore future production, assembly and testing activities dedicated to advanced robotics. This may include potential cooperation on the use, disposal and recycling of batteries throughout the production cycle of Generative Bionics' humanoid robots.

Finally, Eni will assess the possibility of providing Generative Bionics with access to its High Performance Computing (HPC) capabilities to support the development, training and validation of Physical AI models for humanoid robots.

The agreement forms part of Eni's commitment to continuous technological innovation as an essential driver of industrial competitiveness and reflects the company's open innovation approach through collaboration with highly innovative external organisations. The signing follows Eni's investment in Generative Bionics through its venture capital arm, Eni Next, in December 2025.

For Generative Bionics, the agreement marks a strategic step in the industrialisation of GENE.01, creating the conditions to combine the company's expertise in humanoid robotics and Physical AI with Eni's capabilities in materials, high-performance computing and industrial processes, thereby accelerating the platform's testing and validation in real-world operating environments.