What are the reasons for the exponential growth of robots in manufacturing factories?
Robotics has highlighted a very significant growth since its early days, showing a period of stagnation only at the beginning of this century. It should be considered that in 2020 there were about three million industrial robots in operation all over the world and, two years later, in 2022, the robots registered by IFR (International Federation of Robotics) in the last World Robotics were four million, with sales in the year of half a million units, an all-time record.
The reasons for this growth can substantially be divided into two groups: one is related to the intrinsic characteristics of robots and the other one to specific elements in the current, technical and industrial context.
Right from the start, robotics was created to relieve humans from the heaviest, most repetitive and dangerous tasks, improving their quality of life, even in sectors where the then-existing automation could not be used due to its rigidity. Over time, robots have strongly developed because of this need and also because they were able to ensure the necessary flexibility that companies need to respond to production improvements, in terms of quality and flexibility required by an increasingly demanding market.
More recently, other reasons have arisen, which contributed to fostering the growth of robotics. I would like to mention the spread of Industry 4.0, which has seen the robot as one of its main key players and has had considerable tax incentives in many countries around the world; the emergence of cobots, capable of working safely alongside humans, which has allowed robots to ‘come out of their cages’ and be used in new applications that do not disrupt production flow and thus enable to enter even small and medium-sized enterprises; the development of increasingly performing sensors. All this has opened up new and wider fields of application for robotics, leading to its significant growth. Moreover, AI is strongly entering our world, thus accelerating the development of other two areas of robotics: it is sure that deep learning will allow robots to “learn by working” and that it is already enabling the use of increasingly intuitive interfaces and programming languages.
What impact will the instability and uncertainty of these years, also in relation to the wars we are experiencing, have on the segment of robotics?
It is always very difficult to make predictions and particularly now, in a period characterised by great uncertainties worldwide.
The figures of IFR and SIRI show us that the sales of robots in 2020, when the pandemic was at its peak, remained substantially stable overall. This means that the negative effect of Covid on the industry in general was counterbalanced by the increased use of robots that strongly contributed to overcoming the pandemic. Then, in 2021, as soon as Covid loosened its grip, the sector immediately recovered with a 30% upswing worldwide and a 50% upturn in Italy compared to 2020, thus returning to the levels of 2018-2019, with values that set the above-mentioned all-time record for growth in the sector.
Even in 2022, in the middle of the Russia-Ukraine war, a small rise was registered, but the figures of 2023 are not yet available and thus an objective analysis of the war effects in the sector is not possible. Unfortunately, however, the war is not yet over, on the contrary, another one has broken out in the Middle East. Nevertheless, with all necessary precautions, IFR and SIRI indicate a substantial stability in 2023 sales, trending towards a slight increase, thus a quite different scenario from what happened after Covid.
The relationships and consequent parallelisms between industrial development and geo-political events are always quite complex, but although some sectors may be driven by war production, I think that wars always create blockades and cause fears at all levels. Of course, all this negatively affects investments and progress in general, in addition to the terrible humanitarian disaster that is always, unfortunately, generated by war.
How do you see industrial robotics in the coming years? What future scenarios will characterise it most?
The complex, current situation aside, the trend that is clearly highlighted is the expansion in application areas of robotics in all its facets. Increasingly efficient sensors, lower costs and easier management systems enable robotics to enter sectors that previously could not “afford” it for technical or economic reasons. Thanks to modern control systems, today even operators without specific skills can programme and work with robots and through AI, previously unconceivable application worlds are opening up. For several decades now, fortunately, humans have been used to delegating dangerous, heavy or even repetitive tasks to automation and it is not surprising that their life expectancy has increased to values that were unthinkable fifty years ago. In addition, today the possibility of having higher flexibility and better production quality, which are specific features of robotics, is a must for all the companies that want to survive in the increasingly competitive arena of the future.
Therefore, I think that in the near future, robotics can only grow, an opinion that is also supported by IFR’s short-term forecasts, indicating an average annual increase in sales of 7%.
SIRI is a sponsor of RobotHeart, the exhibition area of BI-MU that will return after the success of the past edition. What do you expect in 2024 and what do you propose?
SIRI not only sponsored, but also pushed and actively participated in the creation of RobotHeart, together with UCIMU and all the network in which SIRI is a partner. A partnership work that has been going on for a long time and that sees, on one hand, the cultural and scientific development activity of SIRI and, on the other hand, the commitment of representation and promotion that UCIMU carries out with institutional bodies, government authorities and sector operators.
The creation of RobotHeart is the outcome of this long cooperation and of the need expressed by robot manufacturers to have a dedicated trade show in Italy, but really made as an “Italian-style” event, presenting the Italian identity of robotics with its special characteristics. Let me explain: Italy is firmly in sixth place in the world with regard to the number of robots in operation and the number of robots sold every year, but there are only two leading robot manufacturers in terms of turnover: Comau in multifunctional robotics and Prima Industrie in laser robotics. However, there is another large market In Italy: it is that of “applicators” that buy and resell robots to the world market, “re-dressing”, i.e. transforming them into industrial plants which have on average three times the value of the robots used in the same plants.
| “… Italy is firmly in sixth place in the world with regard to the number of robots in operation and the number of robots sold every year …” |
Do we specialise in “dressing up” robots?
Yes, we do, if “dressing up” robots means dressing them with highly specialised “clothes” and tools, so that they can flawlessly perform the work required of them, offering the companies in which they are integrated, the quality, productivity and flexibility they need.
Today, all the biggest world players are present in Italy not only with sales agents, but also with companies that operate as integrators. These enterprises are capable of conceiving, designing and implementing solutions to integrate robots in production plants, solutions that are exported from Italy all over the world. Thanks to these numerous system integrators working in Italy and thanks to the intrinsic Italian qualities, our country plays a special, leading role in robotics worldwide. This production, which, for robots, we could define as “evolving” gives Italy international reputation, ensuring its sixth place in the world ranking.
However, a trade fair (focused on robotics) did not exist, so RobotHeart, included in the rich context of the manufacturing technologies exhibited at FieraMilano during the four days of BI-MU, has been the most natural response. After the excellent results of the first edition in 2022, I think that 2024 could be the year to confirm the validity of the project.
What are the initiatives developed by SIRI that are scheduled for next BI-MU?
We will be among the main protagonists in the conference programme of BI-MUpiù, opening the day dedicated to the robotics section with the presentation of the latest data regarding the sector. IFR will also participate, as in the last edition of BI-MUpiù, showing a presentation and commenting, together with SIRI, on the state of the art of robotics in the world. In addition, in this edition, IFR will hold its Council and Assembly for the first time in Italy, within BI-MUpiù and RobotHeart.
The president of IFR, Marina Bill, said that Italy was chosen “for its increasingly crucial role in industrial robotics, its constant commitment to issues, such as education & training and research, its offering in terms of high-level innovative solutions and the presence of numerous start-ups in Italy focused on service robots”, motivations of which we can only be very proud.
As far as the academic component of SIRI is concerned, we are interacting day by day with all our network. At present, we can confirm that we will have the presence of I-RIM, an institute that was recently established to represent academic intelligence applied to robotics. I-RIM will again hold its National Conference at the exhibition and also organise other academic and technology events. We plan to repeat again an event organised with us by AIIA, the Italian Association for Artificial Intelligence. We are working to create a specific event on logistics, a sector that is getting closer and closer to robotics.
Of course, from now until October 2024, we will surely be able to organise other industrial or academic activities, always with the aim of bringing education and business closer together for the benefit of the research and industry worlds, which offer much to each other.
What aspects do you consider necessary for this initiative to consolidate after the great success in 2022?
With these premises, RobotHeart aims to confirm itself not only as an exhibition of robotics but also as a conference and cross-cultural point of reference that makes up a meeting place for various types of know-how, an event that can already boast the participation of many robot manufacturers and research centres.
Robotics is multisectoral by nature, its growth is fostered by intersections with other sectors, which, when they discover it, start using it. In this sense, the goal of RobotHeart at BI-MU for the future will precisely be that of attracting ever new sectors, expanding its technological boundaries, becoming the “house of robotics” for all kinds of applications. Take, for example, service robots, whose operating space is increasingly overlapping with that of industrial robots in applications that now require very high levels of automation.
Interview released in November 2023.
