International Airlines Group (IAG) has made a strategic investment through its corporate venture capital arm, IAGi Ventures, in Verve Motion, a wearable robotics company developing lightweight exosuits to support workers performing repetitive lifting tasks. 

Under the partnership, the airline group will launch a pilot programme to trial a new, aviation-specific exosuit designed to provide shoulder support for baggage handlers in cargo and ground operations.

The investment addresses an operational bottleneck in airline ground operations, where physically demanding cargo and baggage handling roles are highly prone to industrial injuries and exacerbate labour shortages.

The technology uses a lightweight, backpack-like system with sensors that detect lifting movements and provide motorized assistance to reduce muscular strain. 

Operators using the system have reported injury reductions between 60% and 85%, alongside productivity improvements of up to 8% and an investment payback period within six months.

The initial trials within the airline group will focus on real-world ground-handling environments to evaluate how the systems can reduce workplace injuries and improve turnaround efficiencies.

Nacho Tovar, Group Innovation Director at IAG, said: “Verve Motion is exactly the kind of company we want to back through IAGi Ventures – a business applying innovative technology to solve real operational challenges.

“This partnership gives us the opportunity to test and shape the technology in a live operating environment, helping us understand how it could improve the day-to-day experience of colleagues carrying out physically demanding work while also supporting more efficient operations.”