The CE approval opens Europe for Cornerstone Robotics as the company expands its global surgical robotics business
Updated
May 29, 2026 4:20 AM
A tray of surgical tools. PHOTO: UNSPLASH
As surgical robotics companies expand beyond domestic markets, regulatory approvals are becoming a critical part of global growth. Companies are no longer competing only on hardware and clinical performance. They are also competing on their ability to enter tightly regulated healthcare systems and build long-term hospital partnerships.
Hong Kong-based Cornerstone Robotics is now moving further into that phase of expansion after its Sentire Endoscopic Surgical System received CE Mark certification under the European Union’s Medical Device Regulation framework.
The approval allows the company to commercialize the system across European markets for minimally invasive procedures in general surgery, gynecology, thoracic surgery and urology. For surgical robotics companies, regulatory approvals often represent more than product validation. They also determine market access, hospital adoption opportunities and long-term commercial scale.
Cornerstone Robotics has already been building clinical operations in the UK ahead of the approval. Since 2025, the company has worked with Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust on clinical investigations involving the Sentire Surgical System. According to the company, the system has been used across procedures involving urology, gynecology and gastrointestinal surgery. The company says the clinical investigation helped generate real-world data to support physician training, research and future adoption efforts.
Alongside the regulatory approval, Cornerstone Robotics is also expanding its local operations in Europe. The company established a UK subsidiary in 2025 and has been developing training, clinical support and after-sales service capabilities for hospitals using the system.
That operational buildout reflects a larger challenge inside surgical robotics. Hospitals adopting robotic systems often require ongoing clinical training, technical support and workflow integration alongside the hardware itself.
Cornerstone Robotics says its strategy centers around vertically integrated development across engineering, software, imaging and robotics systems. The company argues that this structure gives it greater control over product development, supply chain management and long-term operational stability.
Professor Samuel Au, Founder and CEO of Cornerstone Robotics, said: "Receiving CE Certification marks a major milestone in Cornerstone Robotics' evolution from a technology innovator to a global clinical solutions provider. From our first clinical investigation in Portsmouth, UK, to achieving European regulatory approval, each step of the journey reflects our commitment to proprietary innovation, product excellence, and clinical value. Looking ahead, we will continue expanding into key global markets and partnering with leading medical institutions to bring high-quality surgical robotic solutions to more physicians and patients worldwide."
The CE approval also comes several months after the company completed an oversubscribed financing round of approximately US$200 million in November 2025.
The funding and regulatory expansion together signal how surgical robotics companies are increasingly entering a more commercially focused stage of growth. Beyond research and development, companies are now investing more heavily in regulatory approvals, hospital partnerships, physician training and international operational infrastructure as competition expands across global healthcare markets.
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A closer look at PMMI’s FastTrack initiative and why it matters for growing manufacturing firms
Updated
February 13, 2026 10:44 AM
Cardboard boxes in a warehouse. PHOTO: UNSPLASH
Large trade shows are built for scale. But for small and medium-sized manufacturers, that scale often creates distance between what’s on display and what they can actually use. Too many options, too little time, and very few tools designed for companies that are still growing. That mismatch is what PMMI is trying to correct with its new SMB FastTrack Program at PACK EXPO East 2026.
That is the problem PMMI is trying to address with its new SMB FastTrack Program, launching at PACK EXPO East 2026 in Philadelphia.
PMMI — the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies — is the industry body behind the PACK EXPO trade shows and a central organization in the global packaging and processing sector. Through FastTrack, it has created a program (not an app or a product) designed to help small and mid-sized companies navigate the show more efficiently and connect with solutions that fit their scale.
The idea behind SMB FastTrack is simple: reduce friction. Instead of asking smaller firms to sort through hundreds of exhibitors and sessions on their own, the program curates what is most relevant to them. Exhibitors that offer flexible pricing, right-sized machinery, or SMB-focused services are clearly identified with visual icons in both the online directory and on the show floor. That way, a small manufacturer can quickly distinguish between enterprise-only vendors and partners that are realistically accessible.
The same logic carries into education. Rather than treating all attendees the same, PACK EXPO East 2026 will include a learning track specifically built around SMB realities. These sessions focus on issues that smaller teams actually face—how to hire and train workers, use AI without over-investing, improve food safety, cut operating costs, and adopt technology in stages. The goal is not inspiration, but applicability: content that reflects real constraints, not ideal scenarios.
Planning, too, is built into the structure of the program. Through a dedicated FastTrack landing page, participants can access curated supplier lists, recommended sessions, and planning tools that help organize their time before they ever step onto the show floor. Tools like category search and sustainability finders are meant to narrow choices quickly, turning a massive event into something manageable.
Seen together, these elements point to a broader intention. PMMI is not simply adding features—it is reshaping how smaller manufacturers experience a major industry event. Instead of competing for attention in a space built for scale, SMBs are given clearer paths to the people, tools, and knowledge that match where they actually are in their growth cycle.
What makes SMB FastTrack notable is not the technology behind it, but the intention behind it. PMMI is recognizing that progress for small and mid-sized manufacturers depends less on spectacle and more on fit—solutions that are accessible, affordable, and adaptable. The program is designed to help companies move with purpose, not pressure.
In an industry where visibility often follows size, SMB FastTrack represents a structural shift. It treats small and medium-sized manufacturers not as a subset of the audience, but as a distinct group with distinct needs. By doing so, PMMI is quietly redefining what a trade show can be: not just a marketplace of innovation, but a usable platform for companies still building their next stage of growth.