Adrien Hobt, Managing Director of Gentle Systems GmbH      

1. Please describe your company in a few sentences.

Gentle Systems is a Berlin-based creative engineering studio. Since 2006, we have helped companies develop products, processes, installations, and retail experiences where technical ambition and creative vision need to move together. We treat technology as a craft.

2. Why are you engaged as a Berlin-Partner? 

Joining Berlin Partner felt like a natural step for us. While much of our work has been international, we are deeply rooted in Berlin and want to build stronger connections within the local ecosystem. We also see it as a chance to contribute something back: sharing perspectives on creative technology, rapid prototyping and innovation that can inspire collaborations across Berlin’s business and cultural landscape.

3. Which topics drive you in relation to your industry? 

We are especially interested in how emerging fields such as computational design, robotics, AI, 3D printing, and rapid prototyping can move from promise into practice. What matters to us is not technology for its own sake, but how it can be applied in ways that feel tangible, imaginative, and well considered.

4. What makes Berlin special to you?

Berlin has a rare combination of openness, experimentation, and cultural depth. It attracts people who are curious, independent, and willing to test ideas before there is a clear map. That spirit gives the city a particular energy, one that continues to make it fertile ground for unconventional work.

5. Why is Berlin attractive for your company? 

Berlin offers an exceptional mix of creative talent, technical expertise, and cross-disciplinary exchange. It is a place where ideas can be developed in dialogue with artists, engineers, designers, researchers, and entrepreneurs alike. We aspire to expand our work in the local creative industry.

6.  What does Berlin stand for, in your view?

Berlin represents exploration. It is one of the few places where art and technology can genuinely meet without either side losing its character. There is a seriousness of intent here, but also a playfulness and openness that makes experimentation feel natural.

7.  How does your company approach sustainability?

We see sustainability as a creative opportunity to shape how goods are made and how brands are experienced in ways that feel both imaginative and meaningful. Not as a design constraint. Our focus lies in circular systems, repair, distributed fabrication, and new methods of making that extend product life and reduce waste. Since 2020, we have been working with Nike on these questions, developed and launched a sneaker repair robot installation and a sneaker cleaning machine, among others. We have also supported Continental on related challenges in automotive electronics and contributed to EU-funded exploring automation for circularity.