Robots drive employment, report finds - offers boost to UK automation effort

Called 'Positive Impact of Industrial Robots on Employment', the report was published recently by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) in Tokyo and gives a boost to the UK's current Automating Manufacturing Programme. Mike Wilson, chairman of the British Automation and Robots Association (BARA), said: "This is great news for British manufacturing. The IFR study highlights the importance of robotics to the future growth of UK industry and the jobs it will create as a result. The recently launched government funded Automating Manufacturing Programme is providing assistance to companies looking to use automation to improve competitiveness and drive growth. Together we can make UK manufacturing the best in the world and create the jobs that our country needs." The report found that between 2000-2008, manufacturing employment increased in nearly every major industrialised country, even as the use of industrialised robotics increased sharply. This trend is now being seen in China, Brazil and other emerging markets as they rapidly increase their use of robotics. In Brazil, the number of robots almost quadrupled during the study period, with both production and employment rising by over 20%. The report also highlighted three areas of importance with respect to growth in this market: • Robots carry out work that is unsafe for humans • Robots carry out work that is not viable in a high wage economy • Robots carry out work that would be impossible for humans One of the case studies cited was the company Odense Steel Shipyard in Denmark - an excellent example of robots saving jobs in a high wage economy. Shipbuilding in Europe has been in decline in the last 2 - 4 decades, but robots have been key to efficiency savings to Odense. The company has invested in an autonomous, robotic arc welding system that has yielded big dividends. Productivity increased six-fold when compared with manual welding, speeded up production time and made quality improvements, whilst also protecting the jobs of the qualified welders. The UK Government is providing, through the PPMA Group, up to £600,000 of funding to promote automation in UK manufacturing. Chief executive officer of the PPMA group, Chris Buxton, commented: "We are delighted that the Government has put its full weight behind a programme that recognises the importance of automation in UK industry and the positive effect this has for growth and employment." To apply for a government-funded Automating Manufacturing review that involves a totally independent automation and robotics specialist visiting premises to conduct a confidential review and advise where automation can assist, increase productivity and drive growth, contact grant.collier@ppma.co.uk.