Stefan Dörr-Laukien is the co-founder and CEO of NODE Robotics, a Stuttgart-based company building the software layer behind scalable mobile robot fleets.

In this episode, Stefan shares how his path into robotics did not start with founding ambitions, but with curiosity for how machines work. From studying mechanical engineering at TUM to hands-on autonomous driving research at BMW and years at Fraunhofer IPA, his motivation was always the same: building systems that work in the real world, not just on paper.

We talk about the transition from research to entrepreneurship, why understanding the market matters more than perfect technology, and how NODE Robotics emerged as a Fraunhofer spin-off with real customers from day one. Stefan explains why many mobile robot projects fail at scale, how software complexity is the real bottleneck, and why modular, hardware-agnostic autonomy is critical for industrial adoption.

The conversation also looks into decision-making under uncertainty, the risks of staying too technology-driven, and why taking action beats waiting for perfect information. An honest reflection at building deep tech companies in Europe, navigating industrial customers, and turning applied research into a global product.

A grounded conversation about ambition, uncertainty, and what it really takes to scale robotics beyond pilots.

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