Sereact, Zalando and CEVA deploy AI returns processing at German and Polish sites

According to the source, dual-arm robotic systems have entered live operations at facilities in Greven, Germany, and Świebodzin, Poland. The deployment is described as the first commercial phase of a broader initiative to scale intelligent returns automation across Europe. The systems run on Sereact’s Cortex platform, which the company describes as physical AI that dynamically groups, identifies, grasps and sorts previously unseen items without article-specific training or pre-determined product libraries.

Delivered as a Robotics-as-a-Service model, the rollout is the first commercial milestone of a strategic collaboration among the three organisations. In July, Zalando joined Sereact’s Series B funding round as a strategic investor; according to the source, the round raised $116 million in 2026. The partners say they are collaborating to scale intelligent automation across their shared European logistics footprint.

The source states that the technology is designed to work alongside human warehouse employees rather than replace them. It takes on highly repetitive handling and manual sorting tasks, reducing physical strain and allowing staff to move into higher-value roles. Executives from Zalando, CEVA Logistics and Sereact describe returns handling as one of fashion logistics’ hardest areas due to unpredictable volumes, manual quality checks, seasonality and high cost per unit.