Global professional services company Accenture is acquiring Pollux, a Joinville, Brazil-based provider of industrial robotics and automation solutions. Accenture said the acquisition, which is subject to customary closing conditions, will expand its capabilities for clients in consumer goods, pharmaceutical and automotive industries. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

This is Accenture’s first acquisition of an industrial robotics solutions provider. It will encompass Pollux’s operations in Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, Canada and the United States. Pollux’s more than 290 professionals will join Accenture’s Industry X group.

Founded in 1996, Pollux has implemented more than 1,000 projects for manufacturing companies, primarily in Brazil. It said it has deployed 150-plus collaborative robots successfully throughout Brazil. Accenture said many of the world’s largest pharmaceutical and food companies use technology solutions from Pollux in their Brazil operations. And a high number of vehicles made in Brazil use Pollux’s manufacturing solutions.

“Automation and human + machine collaboration are digitally transforming manufacturing and supply chain operations to be more flexible, resilient, sustainable and safe, and to better meet ever-changing customer demands,” said Nigel Stacey, global lead for Accenture Industry X. “Tangibly seeing these benefits in practice requires a true integration of information technology and operations technology, which is what Pollux will allow us to offer our manufacturing clients.”

Pollux will be the latest acquisition Accenture has made to strengthen its digital manufacturing, operations and supply chain capabilities. Recent acquisitions include industrial operations consulting firm Myrtle (US), technology consultancy SALT Solutions (Germany), PLM Systems (Italy), Callisto Integration (Canada), Silveo (France) and Enterprise System Partners (Ireland). In Brazil, Accenture recently purchased information security firm Real Protect and cloud specialist Organize Cloud Labs.

“Pollux’s expertise and experience in robotics and automation solutions will complement our industry consulting skills and industrial IT and applied intelligence capabilities,” said Renato Improta, Latin America lead for Accenture Industry X. “This combination will enable us to deliver real-time supply chain and operations orchestration with flexible manufacturing functions to our clients.”

“As part of Accenture Industry X, we can offer existing and new clients complete transformation of manufacturing and logistics processes,” said José Rizzo Hahn Filho, CEO and founder of Pollux. “Combining IT innovations with industrial automation can enable powerful new business models, in which, for example, a consumer’s purchase at home immediately triggers a robot’s next move in a factory on the other side of the planet.”