The robotics industry is hoping for a boost in automation because some companies want to bring their production closer to home.
(Photo: dpa)
Munich The second largest robot manufacturer in the world, ABB, currently sees no end to the robotics boom, despite all the global upheavals. “The need for robots is increasing and increasing,” said ABB robotics boss Sami Atiya in the Club Wirtschaftspresse München. At the moment, there is a growing trend towards relocating production closer to home markets. “There is hardly a company that is not looking at it right now.”
In Germany, however, the high energy prices are a major burden. “If we don’t get this under control, we have a problem.” Consumers and companies must be relieved so that “there are no mass layoffs because companies have to close”.
The robotics industry has continuously increased its sales in recent years, apart from a brief slump at the beginning of the corona pandemic. Susanne Bieller, Secretary General of the World Industry Association IFR, also said: “There is now massive investment in automation.” According to the industry association IFR, the number of deliveries rose by 27 percent last year to 487,000 robots sold for the first time.
So far this year, the trend has continued in many places. The ABB robotics and industrial automation division was able to increase order intake by 40 percent in the first half of the year. However, sales fell by a comparable nine percent to 1.5 billion dollars. ABB attributed this primarily to the chip shortage and production interruptions in China. The operating result almost halved to $109 million.
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But ABB can now work off a record order backlog in economically uncertain times. So far we haven’t seen any cancellations, said Atiya.
ABB: “We are glad to be in China”
Because the interrupted supply chains in times of the corona pandemic and the Ukraine war have led to a rethink in many companies worldwide. According to an ABB study, 33 percent of companies in Germany want to bring production back home (reshoring), and another 47 percent at least want to bring it closer (nearshoring).
Because of the high labor costs and the shortage of skilled workers, this is only possible with more automation, said Atiya. “There is no industry that doesn’t ask for robots.” There is currently interest in the construction industry as well as in the textile industry and in bakeries. In the automotive industry, which is one of the most important buyers of heavy industrial robots, there is above all interest in not only manufacturing batteries for electric cars or having them manufactured in Asia.
In the past there had been speculation that ABB could spin off its robotics division. “That’s not even up for debate,” Atiya said. The unit is “super core business” and will continue to grow – “with corresponding profitability”.
ABB is considered the market leader in China, the most important robotics market. “We are glad that we are in China,” emphasized the ABB board. With a robot density of 246 machines per 10,000 employees in 2020 according to the IFR, the country still has some catching up to do. For comparison: in South Korea there were 932 units, in Germany 371.
Atiya is not afraid of possible trade restrictions due to the growing tensions between the USA and China. ABB produces in China for the Chinese market. “We can take care of ourselves completely in China.”
Japanese competitor Fanuc is pushing to Europe
ABB is in second place on the world market behind the Japanese Fanuc. The Midea daughters Kuka and Yaskawa follow – roughly at eye level. The competitors also have ambitions. Kuka boss Peter Mohnen has announced: “In the medium term we want to be number two and in the long term world market leader.”
The Augsburg-based entrepreneur, ABB’s biggest European competitor, believes it has overcome its interim innovation crisis. With 25 new products and variants, Kuka now wants to make up ground again.
World market leader Fanuc, in turn, wants to challenge ABB and Kuka on their home market. “We want to double robotics sales in Europe over the next ten years with double-digit growth rates,” said Fanuc Europe boss Shinichi Tanzawa to the Handelsblatt.
According to industry estimates, the Japanese are also likely to be leaders in Europe, but ABB is on par here. Fanuc achieves sales of around half a billion euros with robots in Europe.
More: Burden in the millions – ABB withdraws from Russia.