According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, output per hour worked was just 0.6 percent above its pre-pandemic 2019 average in the first quarter of 2023. This leaves the UK’s productivity on the same slow upward trajectory that it has followed since the financial crisis – and well below the trend that prevailed between the early 1970s and 2008.

Customer centricity is a business philosophy centred around prioritising the needs, preferences, and satisfaction of customers. It involves tailoring products, services and experiences, to align with customer expectations and demands.

Mobile robot manufacturers must consider a range of factors when selecting planetary gearboxes. The global mobile robots market is expanding rapidly and forecasts for mobile robot revenues were recently increased as a result. With such a wealth of opportunities for autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs), manufacturers providing products that meet customers’ needs will see sales grow.

Cobots play a significant role in increasing productivity and are one of the fastest-growing segments in the robotics industry. Worldwide cobot installations surpassed 39,000 in 2021, up from 11,000 in 2017. This is a growth rate of 63 percent, far outpacing the 5.7 percent growth rate for traditional industrial robots, according to the World Robotics 2022 Report.

The automation industry is gearing up for one of its most anticipated events of the year: SPS 2023. Taking place from 14 to 16 November in Nuremberg, Germany, the 32nd edition promises to be a rewarding and insightful experience for professionals in the automation sector. So, what can attendees expect from this year’s event?

It is no secret that the food and beverage sector has been slow to adapt to new automation, AI and digitalisation trends, yet it’s now catching up at a relatively quick pace. The food automation market was valued at $11.29 billion in 2022, and is projected to reach $18.60 billion by 2030.

Collaborative robots, also known as cobots, are enjoying great popularity because they make it possible to automate time-consuming and resource-intensive tasks. The global market for collaborative robots is currently estimated at around $1.2 billion, whilst the sales volume reached a total of 32,300 units in 2021.

When the International Federation of Robots (IFR) first started collating collaborative robot data in 2017, this new breed of robot had a market share of just 2.8 percent. The IFR’s latest report showed that that figure had leapt to 7.5 percent by 2021, with the number of newly deployed cobots growing by 50 percent year-on-year.