China has key role to play in robotics

Room to grow and the need for specialists such as application designers present lots of opportunities

What role could China's robotics industry play in the world? First, let's look at some facts and figures. In Shanghai and Munich recently, the International Federation of Robotics and the China Robot Industry Alliance presented data on robots for last year. Worldwide, 179,000 robots were sold, 37,000 of those in China, making it the largest market. Moreover, Chinese companies made 9,000 robots, triple the number the previous year.

Experts forecast continued growth in China in the years to come, based on two things. First, economic advances are always matched by a growth in robot applications. Second, the density of robots in China is, at present, relatively low. The International Federation of Robotics calculates that the world average for the number of robots to every 10,000 manufacturing industry employees is 58. But in China the figure is about 23, which means there is a lot of room for growth.

A tangible sign of growth in the industry was the recent robotics show in Shanghai at which many important companies were present, displaying their products and applications.

Many Chinese ask me how I see their progress and positioning in relation to foreign companies, which are a lot older and are present throughout the world. The answer is simple, because it is the same one that applies to industries such as car manufacturing, machine tool making and electronics. The market demands quality, cost competitiveness and technical performance, and this is what Chinese robot suppliers need to concentrate on if they are to succeed.

Let's now look at what can be called naked robots, meaning basic machines with no application. Unlike cars, TVs or personal computers, which can be ready to use at the flick of a switch, robots, in their naked state, can do nothing. They must be equipped with tools and be programmed. Doing so does not easily lend itself to standardization. Specialist companies known as systems integrators usually do this work, and I think a great opportunity for China is the development of a systems integrators network, representing the backbone of robotics in every country.

Every one of these companies should specialize in a specific area of robotic applications. It could be a specific technology such as welding, handling, assembly or machining or a specific industry such as automotive, electronics, food and beverages. China's huge internal market would facilitate the development of such specialized companies.

The manufacture and distribution of components used to build robots and their applications is another dimension of the industry. The components of a robot include motors, gears and circuit boards, and robotic applications use vision systems, grippers, sensors and so on. China has great opportunities to develop an important role in this sector, where, once again, the main drivers are technological performance, quality and cost, also driven by economies of scale. The huge opportunities offered by Chinese manufacturing and the size of its market would provide a huge fillip.

In many industries, robots, rather than being an option, are obligatory, being the only tool to perform certain jobs and build certain products. For example, the newspaper you are now reading could hardly be produced by writers and editors using nothing but pens and paper. That is what computers and printing presses are there to take care of. The same goes for robots. In the automotive industry, for example, it is now unthinkable to produce car bodies without using robots. Moreover, despite the widespread belief that robotics are nothing but a jobs destroyer, they can create jobs. Indeed, the International Federation of Robots has published research showing that the use of robots can contribute to creating and developing skilled work.

Given that robotics belong to the world of high tech, a network of educational and research institutions is needed to sustain developments in the field.

In this regard, China can count on universities and research centers that have excellent standards to support the industry as it grows.

The future is bright for China's robotics industry, with opportunities coming from all the connected value chain constituents.

I have worked in this business for 30 years, and I have observed that in all countries where there is growth and industrial progress, robotics prospers and represents a significant and fantastic opportunity for development.

The author is president of the International Federation of Robotics.

(China Daily Africa Weekly 08/08/2014 page9)