The world's largest hub dedicated to collaborative robotics will open its doors in early 2022 in Denmark. Denmark's Minister of Industry, Economy and Finance, Simon Kollerup, unveiled this week the new "cobotics hub" that will bring together the next headquarters of Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR) and Universal Robots in Odense. The two emblems of the Danish robotics industry will share 32,000 m² in the heart of Denmark's growing robotics space.
With the financial support of their American parent company Teradyne, Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR) and Universal Robots (UR) have acquired 50,000 m2 of construction land in Odense, where $36 million will be invested in the construction of a huge cobotics hub in the world's robotic heart. Collaborative robots (or cobots) are now the fastest growing elements of industrial automation. They are easy to use, can work with humans without the need for a safety cage, and improve the work environment and productivity.
This new hub cobotic, which will see the light of day in early 2022, supports Teradyne's mission to further the advances that MiR and Universal Robots have established worldwide.
" MiR and Universal Robots have pioneered the collaborative robot revolution by bringing these automation solutions to companies of all sizes. Teradyne continues to invest heavily in the development of new products, solutions and sales channels. This new construction is in part the key to our growth strategy. "says Mark Jagiela, CEO of Teradyne. « We found something very special in Denmark. The Danish combination of innovative industrial design and practical business sense is perfect for this emerging industry. The ability to make robots capable of working easily with humans is something we haven't seen anywhere else in the world and we are excited to expand our capabilities in Odense. ".
This is not the first time that Teradyne has financially supported the development of robots in Denmark. To date, the company has invested more than half a billion dollars in these two young, fast-growing Danish robotics companies.
A rapid rise in employment expected
The construction site is located in the industrial zone of Odense. It will integrate the current headquarters of Universal Robots. The two companies will pursue the same objective as two different entities. That is to create an attractive environment that will attract new employees to simplify the continuous growth.
"Denmark has a significant breakthrough in the global cobot market. It makes sense to invest ambitiously in the construction of this world's largest cobotic hub here in Odense. "says Thomas Visti, CEO of Mobile Industrial Robots. " Offering a strong and professional environment, with beautiful buildings, allows us to attract talent from all over the world. ".
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MiR hired 100 new employees last year. Universal Robots has added 280 new employees over the last two years. Today, the two companies have 160 and 450 employees based in Denmark respectively. Universal Robots employs nearly 700 employees worldwide, while the MiR team has about 220 employees in total.
A unique Danish talent
Jürgen von Hollen, President of Universal Robots, sees enormous potential in the cobot market. « According to ABI Research, this market is expected to grow to a total value of approximately $12 billion by 2030. The strong demand for Danish cobots justifies the expansion of our current offices in Odense for Universal Robots and MiR. ", explains the President of Universal Robots. "Odense has a strong and talented ecosystem and we are delighted to have the opportunity to make a long-term investment in this unique robotic environment, which we have been building here for more than a decade. ".
Danish robotics on the rise
The Danish robotics industry is currently flourishing. According to the Odense Robotics trade association's 2019 annual survey, 8,500 people are currently working for Danish companies. 3 900 of them in or near Odense (Denmark's third largest city). If the industry follows growth forecasts, Danish robotics will employ 25,000 people in 2025, according to the Danish analysis company Damvad.
Also, it's not just the number of employees that's growing. The total revenues of Danish robotic companies increased by 18% in 2018, reaching $995 million with exports increasing by 26%. These figures are particularly significant since 15 years ago, Denmark had no robotics industry per se.
