FM newsroom – automation, robotisation, cleaning. Facility management has traditionally heavily relied on human labour. B+N Group’s R&D team shows automation is meant to support, not replace, people. The company’s in-house robots, digital systems, and microbiological research all pursue one aim: making cleaning efficient, measurable, and people-focused.
Automation with a Human Focus
ROBIN is not a superhero, but it supports hundreds daily. B+N Group’s in-house “cobot”—a collaborative robot—works with employees, not instead of them. It does not fatigue, rush, or err, reinforcing a key principle: future technology is made to work with people, not against them.
B+N Group is a leading integrated facility management provider in Central and Eastern Europe, operating in nine countries with nearly 29,000 employees. In late 2016, the company founded its R&D unit, unique in the domestic market. Fourteen specialists in the Technology and Innovation Department target the labour-intensive cleaning segment with autonomous technologies. The goal is not to remove manual work, but to make cleaning more efficient and reduce the physical demands on employees.
“We discussed the need for cleaning robots in 2016. Labour shortages and an aging workforce prompted us to consider automating some processes to maintain quality. That led us to develop our own cleaning robot,” says Péter Zalka, Head of R&D at B+N Group, in an interview with National Geographic.
From the outset, technological development went hand in hand with professional quality and measurability.
“The objective was never to replace cleaning, but to make it measurable. Cleaning has traditionally been difficult to quantify, yet we wanted to support daily operations with objective data that clearly demonstrates quality,” highlights Dr Ágnes Ősz, Senior Scientific Researcher at the B+N Group.
ROBIN: A Collaborative Robot in Practice
Development of ROBIN began in 2017, with the first deployment in 2019. Today, over 150 robots assist B+N employees in stadiums, hospitals, airports, and industrial sites. ROBIN can clean about 1,000–1,500 square metres per shift, autonomously planning routes, handling obstacles, and documenting tasks.
“We have always emphasised that ROBIN is a cobot – a collaborative robot. It works with people, not instead of them. While it does not fully replace human labour, it significantly reduces monotonous physical strain, allowing cleaning staff to focus on higher value-added tasks,” says Péter Zalka.
ROBIN operates via mobile connection, not requiring local Wi-Fi, so clients need no extra IT infrastructure. The robots run without docking stations; energy and water refills are manual, matching environments where permanent infrastructure is not allowed.
ROBIN was also designed so that a cleaner can work alongside it for an entire shift, requiring only two to three water changes. A development priority was ensuring that the robot supports, rather than disrupts, the human work rhythm.
Digital Infrastructure and Measurable Quality
At B+N Group, robotics is part of an integrated system. A cloud-based digital platform logs when, where, and to what standard cleaning occurs.
“The biggest difference between other market players and us is that we monitor cleaned areas, not the robots themselves. Ultimately, what matters to clients is whether the space is clean,” explains Péter Zalka.
Microbiological testing is playing an increasingly important role in quality control. Measurement results are fed into the Group’s central digital system, which manages data on an area-by-area basis.
“ATP – adenosine triphosphate – is present in all living cells, so it provides immediate feedback on the level of organic residue on a surface. While it does not directly measure microorganisms, the correlation is very strong. Our aim was to assess cleaning quality using objective data and intervene where necessary. This approach is particularly valuable in healthcare settings and public transport, where it has already been successfully applied during pilot programmes,” Dr Ágnes Ősz explains the importance of ATP testing.
Invisible Contamination and New Research Directions
B+N Group’s research extends beyond conventional cleaning. Developing and validating UV-C disinfection devices and DNA-based monitoring are pioneering efforts.
“We take samples from greywater generated during surface cleaning and analyse the microorganisms present, as well as how they change over time. This is still in the research phase, but we can already detect antibiotic resistance and temporal trends,” says Dr Ágnes Ősz.
Cleaners were actively involved in DNA-based sampling. While there was initial concern that the process might be used for inspection, participants soon took pride in contributing to a scientific research project. This sense of involvement increased motivation, as reflected in improved cleaning quality.
International Recognition for a Hungarian Innovation
B+N Group’s developments have gained attention both domestically and internationally. In the FieldBots Biggest Fleet 2025 ranking, the company was listed as operating the world’s eighth-largest cleaning robot fleet, ahead of several global players. The ranking highlights the B+N Group as one of the most prominent examples in Central and Eastern Europe of successfully integrating facility management with robotics.
B+N Group’s experience shows that technological innovation delivers real value when it supports human work. The combined use of robots, digital systems, and scientific research not only improves efficiency but also raises the profession’s status and, in the long term, improves working conditions.
