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The Danish metropolis of Odense has 200,000 residents, however how did it turn into a world chief in robotics?
Let’s flip again time simply 15 years to the interval across the monetary disaster. Again then, Denmark was a reasonably nameless nation within the international, modern robotics market. And Odense was greatest often called the birthplace of the fairytale author Hans Christian Andersen.
Right now, issues are very completely different. Danish robotics expertise has turn into a world seal of approval, and folks discuss robots as a lot as Lego bricks, wind power, and pharma when discussing the strengths of Danish business.
On the similar time, Odense has been a sponsor to the event of an entire new business — collaborative robots. Alongside the way in which, it has turn into one of many world’s main cities for robotics. It will as soon as once more be demonstrated when Odense hosts R-24 in March, one of many greatest European occasions of the 12 months for robots, drones, and automation.
I’m proud to as soon as once more be an envoy for this occasion. It’ll deal with the inexperienced transition, the scarcity of expert labor, and rising applied sciences equivalent to synthetic intelligence. Along with superior robotics, these tendencies are remodeling international business. I’ve been working with these transformations for 15 years and proceed to observe them with nice curiosity.
Cobots on the core of Danish robotics
Collaborative robots — also referred to as cobots — are a expertise that I actually have labored intensively with in my hometown of Odense, first as chief industrial officer (CCO) at Common Robots (UR) after which as CEO of Cell Industrial Robots (MiR).
Each firms have been offered to American firm Teradyne. The sale of UR in 2015 confirmed that we have been doing one thing proper in Odense. The sale of MiR three years later actually demonstrated that Denmark — with Odense as its heart — had reached the highest of the worldwide robotics league.
Teradyne‘s investments prompted a ripple impact that has resulted in new robotics firms. Right now, Odense is dwelling to greater than 160 firms and organizations and employs roughly 3,600 folks. This makes it one of many European cities with the most individuals per capita employed within the robotics business.
Editor’s word: Ujjwal Kumar, group president for Teradyne Robotics, will ship a keynote tackle on the Robotics Summit & Expo on Could 2 in Boston.
As well as, Odense is now additionally dwelling to one among Europe’s prime hubs for superior drone expertise within the type of UAS Denmark Take a look at Heart.
By 2022, a complete of greater than €1 billion [$1.08 billion U.S.] had been invested in robotics firms in Funen [the Danish island where Odense is located].
With so many firms in a comparatively small metropolis in a comparatively small nation [of about 6 million people], you could be anxious that the native business would eat itself. However that isn’t the case. Odense’s robotics business continues to develop as a result of we help each other and collaborate as a cluster.
Be taught from Agility Robotics, Amazon, Disney, Teradyne and lots of extra.
Odense Robotics nurtures robotics group
In Denmark, we’re shut to at least one one other, each geographically and culturally Right now, Odense Robotics it’s a nationwide cluster with over 300 firms using virtually 20,000 folks. This quantity is rising on a regular basis, and by 2025, we count on 24,000 folks to be employed within the cluster.
I imagine that one of many causes for this robust cluster is the Danish mentality, the place we now have nice belief in enterprise companions. Right here, data flows freely via robust relationships and a willingness to cooperate.
This cooperation extends past the person firms. With academic establishments, such because the College of Southern Denmark (SDU), we trade data with college students and researchers. On the similar time, we now have a very good dialogue about related teaching programs in order that we at all times prepare the perfect and most certified workforce.
We contribute to one another’s growth with data and expertise, which implies that we within the Danish robotics business proceed to develop. A lot in order that we’re increasing past Denmark’s borders, creating jobs globally and providing modern options to industries throughout sectors all around the world.
See Denmark’s success at R-24 in Odense
In different phrases, Denmark has succeeded in making a outstanding place of energy in modern robotics. Different international locations can be taught from our expertise, which is why I imagine that Odense is the correct place to arrange R-24 in March.
Attendees will have the ability to expertise the Danish robotics business firsthand and discover the cluster in Odense. After years on this business, I nonetheless stay up for seeing the most recent developments, modern options, and a convention program with keynote audio system and presenters from all around the world.
See you in Odense?
In regards to the writer
Thomas Visti has in depth worldwide expertise as half proprietor in addition to CCO of Common Robots and CEO of Cell Industrial Robots, two of Denmark’s most profitable robotics firms. He has been acknowledged with awards together with EY Entrepreneur of the 12 months for Denmark and CEO Entrepreneur of the 12 months for Europe in 2019.
Visti is a enterprise marketing consultant for the Export and Funding Fund (EIFO) and is an lively participant in in a number of native and nationwide judging committees for startups and entrepreneurs. He’s the proprietor and chairman of Visti Limitless.