A step into the future: dark factories, robots, and industrial automation
What is this edition’s visual about?
The global industrial robot market has grown steadily over the past few years, with only a brief dip during the pandemic, before growing again in 2021. Currently, adoption rates are also increasing around the world likely in an effort to combat the ongoing labor shortage.
Since reporting began in 2012, Asia has continued to lead the world as the strongest adopter of industrial robots, followed by Europe and then the Americas, both of which are installing robots at a much slower annual rate.
The International Federation of Robotics also predicts a 7% global increase in the installation rate of industrial robots for 2023, with a majority of the increase attributed to Asia, more specifically, with China leading the way, followed by Japan.
In the World Robotics Report 2023, The Republic of Korea currently has the highest industrial robot density in the world, with a rate of 1,012 robots per 10,000 workers. Still, with China’s push towards faster installation rates, surpassing much of the world, we might soon see a future where China is the world leader in dark factories.
This shift signals the beginning of a new era in manufacturing, where robots will play a significant role in production processes, mitigating the effects of the ongoing labor shortage caused by an aging population and simultaneously increasing demand.
Manufacturing's shift toward AI-powered industrial robots
Dark factories, largely automated and operated by robots, may seem like something out of science fiction, but as Europe's population declines, they may be the most practical solution to maintaining the production levels necessary for our societies to function and remain competitive.
For reference, we know that Europe, in less than 80 years, will face a future eerily similar to the one currently affecting Japan, where 29.1% of the population is retired. In response to the crisis, Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in an interview:
"Japan is standing on the verge of whether we can continue to function as a society."
That’s a heavy statement, and current adoption rates of industrial robots simply won’t be able to move fast enough to solve the problem. Additionally, according to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report in 2023, the use of these robots likely will not be controversy-free either due to a predicted loss of 14 million jobs in the next 5 years from the adoption of various technologies, including (1) IoT and connected devices, (2) humanoid robots, (3) non-humanoid robots, and (4) electric and autonomous vehicles
The fear of laying off workers also prevented some companies from implementing automation at all, despite the fact that these robots tend to result in a change in roles rather than the creation of redundancies.
January’s startup update:
Kuchera begins operations in Southern Africa
Kuchera has started the process of onboarding several new customers in Southern Africa following the successful completion of the pilot phase in December. These mines have already started receiving automated recommendations from the Kuchera teamUp app to help them save fuel and increase operational efficiency.
- Customers onboarded during this phase will see a reduction in idling time and fuel consumption in their February reports.
- Mine managers have already started using Kuchera's insights during weekly debriefing meetings with their machine operators to improve their efficiency with insights from the app.
- During the installation of the Kuchera connectivity box, the team was pleased with how quickly things went, reducing the average onboarding time to a single day after the hardware arrived.
- The mining industry is also known for building bonds with communities, which is why Kuchera recently partnered with the Sharks rugby team in South Africa, where they will begin a mentorship program with the young players.
- To wrap up their time in South Africa, Kuchera's CMO, Kumbirai Chipadza, will travel to Africa's largest mining event, Mining Indaba, to meet with industry leaders.
Recommended by LinkedIn
Feeder band: Only relevant, up-to-date deals
// Stat Times
Digital freight forwarder Flexport raises €218 million
Flexport, a technology platform for global logistics, has secured €218 million on an uncapped convertible note from Shopify. The company’s total funding has now reached an impressive €2.5 billion. Their goal is to develop a solution that closes supply chain gaps to coordinate global logistics from factories to final destinations.
// PBC Today
KOPE secures €6.4 million funding for offsite construction
KOPE is a cloud-based offsite construction configurator that streamlines the design, fabrication, and construction process. Its software accelerates the adoption of offsite construction with design-to-manufacturing automation, standardized processes, and algorithms.
Xaba raises €1.9 million for intelligent self-programming robots
Xaba specializes in automated, sustainable manufacturing solutions. Its technology includes innovative processes, control systems, and materials, as well as AI-driven systems that improve manufacturing safety, convenience, performance, and quality.
// Tech EU
Bizay raises €18 million to digitize €786 billion customization industry
Bizay enables cost-effective production by leveraging batching and supply chain optimization. This technology is beneficial for small and medium enterprises as well as large brands, transforming their marketing strategies through unique and personalized communication methods.
Peripheral stimulation
Eliminating Freight Fraud with Michael Caney
Michael Caney and Joe Lynch discuss eliminating freight fraud. Michael is the Chief Commercial Officer of Highway, a freight technology company that identifies who's really hauling your freight to reduce fraud and improve your digital bookings.
Madhavan Ramanujam - How to Price Products
Madhavan Ramanujam is an authority on product pricing and the author of "Monetizing Innovations." In this podcast, he discusses pricing strategy and the importance of focusing on benefits over features, as well as strategies for choosing the most effective monetization model.
Until next time!
Building logistics companies and investing in software startups
12moVery interesting read, Bobbi!