Advances in robotics?
Germany’s thoroughness can become a burden
26.06.2024, 11:00 a.m.
Listen to article
This audio version was artificially generated. More info | Send feedback
Is Germany still a world leader in robotics or is it in danger of falling behind? Andrea Alboni from cobot manufacturer Universal Robots sees both light and shadow. One topic in particular worries the Italian, as he explains in the new episode of “So techt Deutschland”.
Andrea Alboni has lived in Germany for 16 years. The Italian grew up near Maranello, the home of Ferrari. In a way, he is familiar with precision and speed by birth. Both are important in robotics. “Germany is definitely still one of the number ones,” says Alboni. As General Manager Western Europe, he is responsible for business in Germany, Austria and Switzerland at Universal Robots.
Andrea Alboni from Universal Robots
(Photo: private)
But the Italian also knows that the country cannot rest on its laurels. “There is no time to lose. There are other locations, other countries that are going full throttle.” From his point of view, the country of TÜV has an advantage in many ways with processes for everything. But this thoroughness can become a burden: “I thought Italy was the world leader in bureaucracy, but there is competition.”
In Alboni’s view, a certain combination is needed to bring Germany forward: “We have to be as fast as a Ferrari, but as precise as a German sports car.”
Relieve instead of replace
The areas of application for collaborative robots are diverse. Alboni is thinking primarily of small and medium-sized businesses and trades. “There are many areas that are not used to working with robots, but have a great need for automation.” By this he means bakeries, for example, where cobots move trays in and out while employees concentrate on customer contact.
“We live in the era of a shortage of skilled workers, or in other words a labor crisis,” explains Alboni. Cobots are not there to replace people, but to relieve them and increase productivity. In the new episode of “So techt Deutschland” he explains whether such robots will be as easy to use as a smartphone in the future.
In “So techt Deutschland” the ntv presenters Frauke Holzmeier and Andreas Laukat ask founders, investors, politicians and entrepreneurs how Germany is doing as a technology location.
You can find all episodes in the ntv app, at RTL+, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and in the RSS feed.
Do you have any questions for Frauke Holzmeier and Andreas Laukat? Then send an email to [email protected]