Japanese robots are going to become a more common sight in Europe. Rising wages are boosting demand for factory robots that can process everything from handling food to welding cars. For their manufacturers, which are starting an aggressive push, there is room for growth.
Fanuc, one of Japan’s largest robotics companies, has quadrupled the size of its Spanish sales hub near Barcelona, adding to its expansion in Europe where it already has 10 facilities, including in Germany, Italy and Turkey.
Until now, demand for robot workers has been largely concentrated in Asia with about three-quarters of newly deployed robots installed in the region. Asia’s urgent need for automation has been growing over the past decade as low birth rates and a labour shortage from an ageing population increasingly cause problems for companies.