Exhibitors of the leading exhibition automatica look ahead to the coming years with great confidence – despite economic challenges. Expectations for the future economic development of the industry even reached an all-time high in 2025.

This causes high levels of investment confidence, innovative strength, and long-term growth across the industry as the new year begins.

Exhibitor surveys conducted in collaboration with the Gelszus Messe-Marktforschungs research institute have been evaluated to compile this data. Participating companies were asked about their opinion on the current economic situation in the industry and their expectations with regard to its future development.

Impressive evidence of the industry’s potential

Even though the enthusiasm in assessments of the current economic situation has been on the decline since 2018, the future outlook clearly remains positive. Even the coronavirus pandemic, ongoing trade conflicts, and geopolitical tensions have done nothing to alter the companies’ fundamental conviction that automation, robotics, and smart production solutions are among the key technologies of the future.

“The pronounced optimism provides impressive evidence of the industry’s potential,” says Patrick Schwarzkopf, Managing Director VDMA Robotics + Automation. “The good news is that the significance of automation will continue to grow. The accelerating demographic change and increased requirements with regard to competitiveness are just two examples of important factors that will drive global automation for many years to come.”

A driving force and barometer of the industry

Exhibition Director Anja Schneider comments: “At automatica 2025, there was a palpable feeling that the industry has lost none of its optimism even though it is navigating a challenging market.

“The long-term analysis provides statistical evidence of what most visitors and exhibitors could clearly feel at the exhibition. 97% of exhibitors and 98% of visitors feel that the leading exhibition will become even more significant or remain at current levels.”

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Improving the competitive positioning is among the most pressing tasks of the new federal government. And the industry is at the centre of this effort. It is alarming that the robot density in Chinese manufacturing environments is now greater than in Germany. The country has doubled its number of robots per factory worker within four years (2019-2023). According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), China, with its 470 units per 10,000 employees, advanced to second place worldwide in 2023. Germany is down to fourth place with 429 units and Japan comes in fifth with 419 units.

Robots take on unpopular jobs

The automatica Trend Index is based on interviews with more than 1,000 employees each in Germany, Japan, China, USA, and the United Kingdom. According to the survey, around three out of four respondents in Germany feel that robots can help improve competitive positioning and keep industrial production in their own country.

The Trend Index found that respondent approval is even stronger in China: Around 80 percent of them see the positive effects for domestic industries. In contrast to that, it is only two out of three in the US.

Robots help tackle lack of specialists

The lack of specialists is a key driver of automation adoption. 75 percent of respondents feel that robotics can provide solutions in this context. The automatica Trend Index produced particularly high approval figures when respondents were asked whether robotics and automation would improve the future of work: A vast majority wants to hand over dirty, monotonous, and dangerous tasks in factories to robots. 85 percent are convinced that robots lower the risk of sustaining injuries when performing dangerous work. And 84 percent consider robots a key solution for handling hazardous materials. Finally, 70 percent of respondents expect that robots will enable elderly professionals to postpone their retirement.

“Robotics and automation have great potential in tackling the lack of specialists and improving work environments as they take on unpopular tasks,” says Dr. Dietmar Ley, Head of the VDMA Robotics + Automation Association. “And it has never been easier for companies to benefit from industrial robotics. Robot development is experiencing rapid technological progress in terms of usability. Setting them up and operating them will soon be as easy as using smartphones and similar devices.”

Dr. Reinhard Pfeiffer, Managing Director of Messe München, emphasises that robotics and automation are not job killers but secure jobs and strengthen the industry’s competitive positioning. Dr. Pfeiffer comments: “The German industry is facing a multitude of challenges. At automatica, around 750 exhibitors from about 40 countries present workable solutions across six exhibition halls.

“Being a leading international marketplace for automated and smart production, automatica is the perfect platform to engage in knowledge transfer and get inspired.”

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The humanoids from China recently had an opportunity to show their capabilities during a half marathon in Beijing. Around 20 humanoid robots successfully competed against humans during the 21-kilometer run. With this race, the People’s Republic achieved its goal of presenting the country as a leading supplier of human-like robots.

A half marathon raises a frequently asked question once again: Why do humanoids have legs? Wouldn’t wheel drives be more efficient? Jonathan Hurst, Chief Robot Officer at Agility Robotics, explains why most humanoids still have two legs: “Two-legged robots are designed to coexist with humans and offer great versatility and mobility beyond the possibilities of wheel drives. With their legs, humanoids can adapt to complex environments, walk up stairs and curbs, and perform a wide range of tasks.”

Digit, Agility’s humanoid robot, is already being used in a number of applications – primarily in logistics centres operated by companies such as amazon and GXO Logistics. With a height of 1.75 m and an approximate weight of 64 kg, Digit can take on complex tasks such as lifting loads weighing up to 16 kg. And advanced sensor technology based on LIDAR and cameras even enable it to navigate independently.

Melonee Wise, Chief Product Officer at Agility Robotics, will also discuss Digit and how humanoids can fill gaps in the automation chain during her presentation at automatica Forum in Hall A5. She will be followed by Carolin Richter, Head of Next Generation Robotics at BMW Group, who will deliver an application-centric speech on her company’s experience with specific humanoid deployments in practice.

The US and its pioneering role in tech development

Just like Digit, other sophisticated humanoids are from the US as well. They include Atlas by Boston Dynamics, Optimus by Tesla, Figure 01 and 02 by Figure AI, and Apollo by Apptronik. All of them already work in the automotive industry as part of pilot projects. Jeff Cardenas, CEO and co-founder of Apptronik, comments: “We are developing the world’s most advanced and performant humanoid robots to assist humans in sensible and revolutionary ways.”

However, driving these developments takes a lot of capital investment and strong supporters. Apptronik just raised more than 350 million USD in its latest round of financing. Cooperations with NASA, NVIDIA, and Google DeepMind as well as users such as Mercedes-Benz and GXO Logistics are intended to maintain Apptronik’s leading role in this promising market.

Germany lags in humanoid robotics

Even though Germany does not currently play a key role in the global humanoid market, automatica provides proof that the country still offers promising developments. Apart from the 4NE-1 by Neura Robotics, first introduced at automatica 2023, additional humanoids will be exhibited in Munich this year.

One of them is ‘Iggy Rob’ from Cologne. Igus offers its first humanoid robot for just under 50,000 Euros. According to the manufacturer, this has been achieved by combining proprietary components such as robot arms from the ReBeL cobots und the ReBeL Move mobile platform. Its range of applications extends from assistance robotics and factory automation all the way to education and research. Igus also intends to deploy Iggy Rob for automating injection molding machines in its own premises.

The presentation by the Institute for Robotics and Mechatronics, part of the German Aerospace Center, is another eagerly anticipated highlight. They conduct extensive research with the goal of advancing humanoid robotics. And their latest results will be exhibited at automatica. In this context, the institute’s recently announced cooperation with Siemens has caused a bit of a stir.

Institute Director Alin Albu-Schaffer comments: “This strategic partnership is yet another example of the robotics-related technology transfer from aerospace to industrial applications. Given the rapid developments in the US and China, extensive networking with leading German industrial partners such as Siemens is essential to ensure the future competitiveness of European robotics.”

Humanoid robots: a huge growth market

Tesla considers itself a technology leader with its humanoid Optimus robot. It moves elegantly at great speed and features a five-fingered hand of great dexterity. Elon Musk believes that they will soon be suitable for housework or childcare, and Goldman Sachs also sees great potential in the global humanoid market. They expect a market valuation of 38 billion USD by 2035.

Apart from US companies, the People’s Republic is pursuing ambitious goals as well. The country intends to become the global market leader in the field of humanoid robots within three years. In the medium term, five percent of all jobs in China are scheduled to be taken over by humanoids. This is equivalent to the deployment of around 35 million units. Chinese companies across various applications and industries already deploy humanoids by Unitree, AgiBot, Engine AI, Fourier, and Ubtech.

Industry leader Unitree is one of the world’s first to place a small humanoid on the market at a spectacularly low price – the G1. The basic version of the G1, standing 1.3 meters tall and weighing just 35 kg, will cost only 16.000 Euros in China. In Europe, however, the price is expected to be closer to 30.000 Euros. And this price can easily more than double depending on the robot’s configuration.

The G1 has raised great interest, as Unitree Marketing Manager Qian Yuqi explains: “We already have orders from China and abroad. Initially, our robot will probably be most popular among scientific research institutions, but we also know of industrial companies considering the G1 for simple tasks.”

The time of humanoids has come and, thus, a new era of automation has begun. AI already empowers them to take on some tasks that could only be handled by humans thus far. automatica promises exciting insights into the current capabilities of humanoids and their potential impact on work environments.

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Here, exhibitors from all over the world will show how robots, cobots, and humanoids interact with and support humans as new exciting job descriptions are created.

Cobots are gaining ground in the world of work. They assist in rehab therapy, perform monotonous administration tasks, or work in canteen kitchens. For example, automatica exhibitor FANUC will present a cooking station where a cobot makes sandwiches and a six-axis industrial robot prepares meals. And Yaskawa will demonstrate smart gastronomy solutions with the potential to compensate for the lack of staff.

Bender+Wirth is a practical implementation example for cost-efficient automation. The mid-sized company was looking for a solution for CoB (Chip-on-Board) component assembly, but conventional system integrators didn’t fit the budget. They implemented their automation in-house with their own robot cell design based on SCARA robots supplied by Epson.

Managing Director Martin Bender comments: “The ease of integration and programming was the decisive factor – our employee was fully capable of setting up the system after attending training at Epson.” This example shows that even comparatively small companies with limited resources can benefit from modern robotics.

Digital cobot risk evaluation

In addition, a new patented system developed by Fraunhofer IFF facilitates the risk assessment for cobot deployments, which is required by law. “At automatica, we will present a patented system that makes this risk assessment significantly easier,” says Dr.-Ing. Roland Behrens, Human-Centered Systems Department Manager at Fraunhofer IFF in Magdeburg.

“This is particularly beneficial for small and medium-sized companies requiring greater levels of automation but lacking the financial resources to hire a conventional system integrator. This solution enables users to independently carry out risk assessments without any prior knowledge.”

This development could be another boost to cobot deployments as many companies are indeed focusing on the acquisition of robots to compensate for the shortage of skilled workers. And since cobots are becoming increasingly affordable while programming and parameterization become easier, robot deployments are now economical for small companies, too.

At automatica, igus will prove just how cost-effective the adoption of robotics can be. This Cologne-based company offers cobots starting at EUR 5,000 and uses its own production facility to demonstrate associated use cases.

Alexander Muhlens, Head of Low Cost Automation Business Unit, says: “For example, we use robots in our injection molding plant to remove sprues. The robot costs around EUR 10,000 and return on investment is achieved after just six months.” This makes cobots an efficient solution for SMEs, particularly since commissioning does not require any robot specialists.

AI qualifies robots for new tasks

The easier and more intuitive collaborative robot handling gets, the more application potential is unlocked. So it is unsurprising that manufacturers do everything in their power to qualify their cobots for the widest possible range of tasks by using artificial intelligence. For example, Universal Robots has lately presented the UR AI Accelerator as a solution for developers to equip their robotics solutions with the latest AI technology.

Delta Electronics has taken a similar path. The company will use automatica as an opportunity to showcase their innovative Cognibot Kit and how it enables fitting cobots of the D Bot series with advanced cognitive capabilities such as voice control, 3D machine vision systems, Artificial Intelligence, and more. Delta significantly expands the range of these cobots’ deployment options across various manufacturing environments through improved performance.

Michael Mayer-Rosa, Global Head of Intelligent Robot Systems (IRS) at Delta, comments: “The Cognibot Kit unlocks cognitive robotics for companies of all sizes. This is particularly advantageous for countries such as Germany where SMEs form a large part of the economy and are faced with labour shortages. Easy integration into existing environments was a key focus as it enables smaller companies to take advantage of the efficiency and flexibility that cost-effective solutions for automation in production, logistics, and service offer.”

Such workable, simple solutions are what European SMEs need – and automatica is the place to find them. And the best part is that the barriers to entry for automation will decrease even further very soon. Robot and systems manufacturers are working hard to develop voice-controlled models intended to make programming easy for just anyone. automatica will show just how far the developments in this sector have already come.

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All growth projections for robotic systems in pharmaceuticals, medical science, and healthcare point the same way: straight up. Mordor Intelligence expects an average annual growth of more than 16 percent by 2029. Even though projections can carry some level of uncertainty, one thing is for sure: The diverse healthtech sector is a tremendously promising market.

This topic will also take centre stage at automatica 2025. At the MedtecLIVE Healthtech Pavilion in Hall A4, a wide variety of exhibitors from the medical technology supply sector will be presenting themselves, covering the entire value chain. The initiative is accompanied by the MedtecSUMMIT held in Hall B4 on the second and third trade fair day, as well as by a curated selection of highly relevant exhibitor solutions.

A large number of exhibitors get inspired by the activity at automatica and showcase proven robotics, cobot, and mobile robotics solutions for healthtech applications as well as innovative assembly plants for medical devices. Stäubli Robotics is considered an automation solution pioneer in medical science and pharmaceuticals. The Swiss company introduced the world’s first Stericlean robot in 2008. This groundbreaking development paved the way to robot deployments in aseptic environments.

Robots for aseptic environments

These days Stäubli has a complete portfolio of hygienically engineered robots including four- and six-axis robots conforming to strict requirements of GMP Grade A and B isolators, RABS, and freeze driers. “We use our robots in almost all areas of medical technology. For pharmaceuticals, we have compiled a comprehensive offering consisting of three different robot series: accessPharma, the latest, is intended for non-aseptic applications, Stericlean for aseptic environments, and Stericlean+ for integration with isolators,” says Peter Pühringer, Managing Director of Stäubli Robotics in Bayreuth, Germany.

Robots capable of working in sterile environments are used in applications such as cell and gene therapy (CGT), biotherapy, API research and production, lab automation, and other sections of the pharmaceutical industry. As of now, there a just a few premium suppliers offering robotic solutions for aseptic environments.

H2O2 decontamination is easy for robots

Yaskawa is a manufacturer getting in on the action in this context. The Japanese company offers their hygienically engineered HD7 and HD8 high-performance robots of the Motoman series, developed in close cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA). These six-axis robots are suitable for deployment in GMP Grade A environments.

A glance towards Switzerland reveals that these machines are already being used in practice. The Swiss Pharmabotix company uses a Motoman HD8 in its CryoFiller module for automated cell and gene therapy vial filling. Here, the hygienically engineered six-axis robot handles vials and has no issues conforming to requirements arising from the need to use hydrogen peroxide for cleaning and decontamination.

Cobots and AI are conquering lab automation

Healthtech applications also offer a wide variety of deployment options for collaborative robots, and the significance of cobots in labs, rehabilitation facilities, and many other environments is steadily increasing. The use of AI makes them highly efficient and flexible as it enables them to perfectly support researchers, therapists, and lab or hospital staff.

Cobotta by Denso Robotics is a great example that unlocks new perspectives for robot-based automation in labs. The Cobotta is the very heart of an innovative lab concept developed by the bAhead start-up from Hamburg, Germany.

Rainer Treptow, CEO and founder of bAhead, explains: “We were the first to combine three disruptive technologies for lab use – cobots, drones and AI. All system components are cost-efficient, multi-functional, and work perfectly in tune as they are controlled using swarm intelligence. This creates entirely different dynamics than in conventional lab automation, especially in labs facing the challenge of automating small numbers of samples.”

ROBERT rehab robot supports nursing staff

The ROBERT robot has an entirely different mission. It is responsible for making patients mobile again as they recover from a surgical intervention or stroke. This groundbreaking solution by the Danish manufacturer Life Science Robotics is based on an LBR Med by KUKA. This robot is perfectly suitable for integration into the medical product thanks to its medical precertification. “With our solution, we want to help mobilise patients faster and more efficiently while easing the burden on nursing staff,” states Keld Thorsen, CEO of Life Science Robotics.

The robot’s functional principle is quite simple: The nurse attaches the robot arm to the patient’s leg, for example. Pressing the start button causes ROBERT to raise the leg slightly. Now the nurse can manually perform the therapeutic movements. ROBERT memorises this movement so that it can then perform it independently – exactly as demonstrated and as many times as required.

Even more flexible medical device production

Current developments in medical science and pharmaceuticals are not just all about robots, though. Renowned solution providers dedicated to series production of medical devices will also be represented at automatica. Inhalers, injection pens, autoinjectors, or syringes – such products can only be made by specialist companies due to patient safety requirements, among other reasons.

Apart from Teamtechnik, BBS Automation, Kahle, and Hekuma, now all part of Dürr AG, Mikron Automation is another established medtech platform solution provider. Mikron shows where the market is headed with their Maia assembly platform. The Swiss company had been known for developing powerful assembly solutions for large series production facilities before placing this semi-automated platform on a market that demands more flexibility. Maia unlocks efficient assembly processes for various medical products from a given product family such as pen injectors or autoinjectors – even with small batch sizes.

Mobile robots advance into aseptic environments

Automation of some healthcare application fields can only be achieved using mobile robots. This includes helping persons requiring assistance, but also extends to new concepts for transport and handling tasks in the pharma factory of the future.

automatica exhibitors will showcase visionary AGV and AMR solutions for such tasks as well. The deployment of mobile robotic systems in sterile environments used to be problematic as solutions for such use cases were simply not available. But that has now changed: Stäubli Robotics has made the Sterimove platform solution part of their portfolio. It is a completely encapsulated vehicle certified for use in sterile environments – the only one of its kind in the world.

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A December 2024 survey by the Statista Research Department details just how precarious the situation is. For example, China has the highest prevalence of AI production technology at 94%. The US comes in second, but is surprisingly far behind. 46 percent, ie less than half of all manufacturing companies, use AI here. According to the survey, the German speaking countries (DACH region) come in last at only 20 percent.

Christian Fenk, CSO of the robominds AI company in Munich, feels that things should be different: “On the supplier side, Europe is among the global market leaders for AI solutions geared towards production. Anyone doubting this should attend automatica in Munich and see for themselves the wide range of available AI solutions covering all aspects of automation. Any company delaying their own adoption of this technology puts their competitive positioning at risk.”

US President Donald Trump is one of those who have understood the significance of AI. He started his second term by initiating the $500 billion Stargate venture intended to bring AI infrastructure in the US to a whole new level. The enormous investment into this key technology is to not just ensure a competitive edge for the industry, but to secure the entire nation’s prosperity and sovereignty. What that means for Europe: Time to act.

Doing the impossible with smart automation

Let’s go back from global politics in Washington to a production hall in northern Germany: AI plays a major role here, too. It doesn’t affect the world order here, but it helps develops the competitive positioning of a plastics processing business facing the challenge of positioning a large variety of pre-separated components for assembly. Conventional automation is not an option here as the enormous variety of components would require both a tremendous programming effort and continuous adjustments to the program as it is executed.

robominds was able to solve this problem using an AI solution that autonomously reacts to changes as they occur. A combination of robots, robobrain, and suitable AI skills enables the system to recognize, grip, and separate all component variants without any programming or teaching effort. “Real artificial intelligence acting as a link to cover unstructured processes unlocks entirely new fields of application in automation. Even if the customer’s product variety increases further, AI puts them in a comfortable spot as it enables flexible reactions to future changes,” says Tobias Rietzler, CEO at robominds.

Smart 3D vision replaces teaching and programming

The combination of 3D vision and powerful AI is one of the prerequisites for implementing smart robotics solutions. This technology enables robots to act appropriately in any given situation and to take on tasks subject to dynamic changes. This helps overcome the limitations of inflexible programmed sequences and lets machines achieve maximum autonomy.

At automatica, lots of machine vision providers present actual use cases for such solutions, including start-ups such as Mech-Mind Robotics. This company was founded in 2016 and, with the support of Intel and other investors, has attracted a total funding of more than $200 million. It is already considered one of the top players in deploying AI and Deep Learning applications to implement extremely challenging automation tasks.

Trade fair stands of exhibitors such as Basler, Carl Zeiss, IDS, MVTec, or VMT offer visiting professionals the perfect opportunity to get up to speed on the latest technology in AI-based machine vision. Our exhibitors will be happy to elaborate on tasks to be solved, the ease of system integration, associated costs, and return of investment.

Robot manufacturers showcase visionary developments

Visitors are also eagerly awaiting the innovative solutions showcased by robot manufacturers at automatica, which has never had more registered robot manufacturers than this year, and many of the first-time exhibitors are from Asia.

Language programming is another AI-related topic that will play a pivotal role very soon. If it was possible to program robots using natural language, the greatest obstacle associated with their use would just vanish in an instant. A team from Augsburg, Germany, has shown that this dream of convenient language programming is now within reach.

The team at KUKA has been working on using generative AI to create program code for some time now. Roland Ritter, Head of Software Portfolio Management at KUKA, explains what this is all about: “We are currently developing an AI chatbot capable of translating natural language commands into code, which is then used to program the robot for the task at hand. If we succeed, anyone could perform entry-level robot programming with ease.”

Experiments are conducted in a virtual environment for now, and AI-generated robot programs are still being tested using digital twins in an effort to make them suitable for real-world applications. But progress is being made and it is only a matter of time before AI assistants and robot programming will work hand in hand.

Autonomous mobile robots powered by artificial intelligence

Just as in stationary robots, artificial intelligence plays a key role in mobile robotics, too. Autonomous navigation may have the greatest impact in this domain as it unlocks fully autonomous deployments of AMRs in complex and continuously evolving environments. It was not without good reason that ABB Robotics acquired Sevensense Robotics in 2023. The Swiss company specialises in VSLAM technology (Visual Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping).

This AI-based technology is considered a game changer as it enables AMRs to map unknown environments and navigate them with great precision. Sami Atiya, Head of Robotics and Discrete Automation Business Area at ABB: “Each robot is equipped with machine vision technology and AI, and is tasked with scanning a specific part of the building. Each robot’s field of vision is used to compile a complete map so that AMRs can autonomously work in fast-changing environments.”

The numerous AGV and AMR providers use different navigation systems, and each of them can take on specific logistics tasks – learn all about it at automatica. Both the choice of solutions and the market are huge. And that extends to the entire product range from grippers to cobots, and across all exhibition areas: AI is now ubiquitous and unlocks quantum leaps in terms of efficiency and economic potential.

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The 2023 event includes the high-profile Hightech Summit, premiering formats such as Service Robot City and Mobile Robots in Production, and a wide range of free-to-attend presentations and panel discussions.

The joint Service Robot City pavilion offers an exciting overview of the numerous application fields for service robots. A highlight is the Robot Restaurant which is partly staffed by machines.

Automatica 2023 will also see a live test event for AGV fleets. With an obstacle course over about 850m2, this special demo at Automatica shows how driverless transport vehicles and mobile robots from different manufacturers can be operated flexibly and efficiently—using a control system and shared travel paths.

Further, with maintenance becoming an important interdisciplinary technology, the Smart Maintenance Pavilion will cover topics such as energy and resource management, industrial services, digital aftersales models as well as industrial IT solutions. With its live demonstrations in the Demo Park, talks in the Speakers Corner, and innovative product presentations by exhibitors, the Smart Maintenance Pavilion offers an exciting mix of theory and practice with significant added value.

A highlight of the Hightech Summit is a presentation looking at how industrial robots will, in the future, be programmed using new ‘easy-to-use-AI’ and modern developer tools. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Torsten Kroeger, former head of the Google Robotics Software Division and current CTO at Intrinsic, USA, explains exactly what these tools are. Intrinsic is part of the Alphabet group and focuses on developing robotics software as well as AI applications.

And Dr. Jeremy Wyatt, Director of Applied Science at Amazon Robotics, Germany, will present innovative use cases involving robots for handling goods in the world’s largest online retailer’s locations. The core competencies of Amazon Robotics include the development of collaborative and autonomous robots using AI and machine learning for applications deployed across the group of companies.

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The show offers a complete overview of the industry; visitors will find customised solutions for optimal productivity from over 900 exhibitors, as well as demonstrations of transformations in cobots, AGVs, AMRs and more.

Beyond the exhibition space there will also be a comprehensive, future-oriented supporting programme which includes:

• Lectures on the AI.Society stage presented by leading representatives discussing a future in unison with increasing AI technology
• Showcases including product demonstrations in the test zone, robots live in action on the Service Robot City pavilion and maintenance products – the backbone of smart factory
• Dedicated spaces for young talent and start-ups to connect, cooperate, and find investment.

Key players from the industry will come together for important discussions and collaborations. Challenges will be met with innovative solutions.

Automatica is a unique opportunity to see leading international professionals present their ideas and to network with a global audience. In 2022, it was home to 574 exhibitors from 34 countries who welcomed 28,937 visitors from 75 countries.

Click here for more information about the show, and you can purchase your ticket here.

Smart automation can make a significant contribution to achieving the set climate goals by improving the energy efficiency of production facilities or by facilitating resource-conserving manufacturing processes through the minimization of reject parts. Also, assembly and handling technology enables new approaches to recycling and the circular economy. And it helps produce sustainable products more economically. In brief: It optimizes both the production and product level.

Automatica presents solutions from the fields of smart automation and robotics that suppliers prefer to use in a diverse range of applications and industries. Green technologies in the fields of power generation and mobility come with a promise of particular excitement.

Green technologies such as photovoltaics, wind power, fuel cells, and e-mobility are considered economic drivers of automation technology. The social transformation towards sustainability and climate neutrality generates new business because robotics and automation are key technologies driving this transformation.

This already reflects in the increased demand currently experienced by automation and robotics suppliers. Volker Spanier, head of industrial robotics at Epson, notes: “We have recently seen an increase in leads from the area of battery and fuel cell manufacturing. And we will soon see the volumes rise to current photovoltaic industry levels. The decisive factor for Europe will be the future location of this business. For the time being, almost all equipment suppliers for giga factories are located in Asia. Maybe Automatica will show promising approaches here, especially for the emerging fuel cell manufacturing sector.”

New requirements for robotics

Amidst all the enthusiasm about the scope of application for robots, a question pops up: Are standard robots at all suitable for lithium-ion battery and fuel cell production? And which features of four- and six-axis robots are particularly useful for these applications?

Fuel cell production has some particularities as well. And it would not be where it is without robots. For example, each of the 400 to 500 bipolar plates in any given fuel cell stack must be layered with utmost precision and care. This does not merely require extremely fast robots. They must also be qualified for the corrosive environment they operate in. At Automatica, robot manufacturers will show if they can supply robots for such specific use cases.

Peter Pühringer, managing director of Stäubli Robotics Germany, is not worried: “I am sure that several leading manufacturers offer robots capable of meeting these requirements. Stäubli Robotics will showcase four-axis and six-axis robots for deployment in hyperdry environments, as well as special designs for operation in corrosive conditions. Thus, we are in a position to supply robots for both markets—lithium-ion batteries and fuel cells.”

The promising recycling market

Recycling of electrical devices and batteries is another promising market for robotics and automation. In this context, Kuka has an electronic waste separation project in Ireland, where staff are not exposed to hazards posed by gases and sharp-edged parts. Here, electronic waste is separated and processed to become a valuable resource with a ‘second life’ in the circular economy.

Electric vehicle battery recycling is an application with promising future prospects. As EVs increasingly populate the streets, the question arises as to what happens with their batteries at the end of their life cycle. Dr Joachim Döhner, chairman of the VDMA battery production department board and senior director at Kuka, says: “The required automation level in battery disassembly and the recovery of valuable resources will produce new know-how and lead to new robotics business segments.”

Mandatory sustainability

Climate-neutral production trends and new fields of application for robotics and automation are expected to be the subject of intense discussions at Automatica. The new EU directive CSRD, applicable throughout the EU from 2024 onwards, puts the topic of ‘sustainable automation’ in the spotlight even more. The CSRD—an acronym for Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive—requires companies above a certain size to submit a sustainability report and to assess the sustainability of their production in this context.

Robotics and automation have the potential to improve environmental footprints: Modern assembly plants and robots contribute to the associated efforts through improvements in service life, energy efficiency, and flexibility. Rigidly interlinked production lines had to be converted or completely replaced in a huge product change effort, but things have changed: “In modern assembly plants with a modular design, it usually suffices to make some simple modifications and to reprogram the robots to get the conversion done. That saves time, resources, and energy,” emphasises Frank Konrad, CEO at Hahn Automation and chairman of VDMA Robotics and Automation.

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This is due to a change in its rhythm. From now on, the international automation industry will meet at the Munich exhibition centre in odd years, side by side with Laser World of Photonics.

Anja Schneider, exhibition director, is optimistic about the event coming up this summer: “Our lives are increasingly affected by global challenges such as supply chain issues and lack of specialists. Robotics and automation are key technologies offering suitable solutions in this context. It takes smart automation and digital networking to make production economical and sustainable. And Automatica in Munich showcases how that works.”

The halls are filling up, with companies representing the entire value chain of robotics and automation. Confirmed robotics exhibitors include ABB, Fanuc, Kawasaki, Kuka, Stäubli, Universal Robotics, and Yaskawa.

The field of assembly and handling technology is represented by AFAG, Bosch Rexroth, Deprag, Festo, Hahn Group, Mikron, PIA Automation, Schaeffler, Schunk, and Weber Schraubautomaten. Machine vision exhibitors include Basler, Carl Zeiss, Cognex, IDS, MVTec, VMT, and Visio Nerf. In addition, renowned exhibitors such as Beckhoff, Heidenhain, IFM, as well as Murrelektronik and Siemens, will present their products and solutions in Munich.

“We are also seeing positive economic forecasts for automation and robotics – creating bright prospects for an exciting and rewarding Automatica 2023,” Anja Schneider sums up.

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