The Robot Report

5.0 where working alongside robots will create more human-centric, sustainable and resilient businesses.

5. Customers will be found at the heart of product development

Although we talk extensively about robot collaboration in the workplace, human collaboration is what drives innovation.

Customers understand their own needs better than anyone else and, as the automation market has matured, are better placed than ever before to offer valuable input on their requirements. This means robotics companies will involve customers much more in product development. It is why Universal Robots has reorganized its product creation teams and is focusing heavily on understanding the problems customers are facing before designing solutions.

Co-development projects where robotics companies and customers work together in developing specific solutions are also bound to increase in 2023 and beyond. Ultimately these allow customers to directly influence the product they are buying, while at the same time delivering valuable feedback for the robotic companies – meaning they will be able to launch a product to the benefit of the whole market.

Now more than ever, businesses need to innovate constantly and remain adaptable in order to survive and expand. As we head into 2023, they will rely ever more on technology and innovation to break new ground with turnkey solutions at the heart – all of which make the year ahead an exciting time for automation. RR

About the Author

Anders Billesø Beck leads the development of cobot technologies to keep global businesses agile, productive and innovative. Anders is vice president for strategy and innovation at Universal Robots, the global leader in flexible automation, and holds a Ph.D. in robotics om DTU, the Technical University of Denmark.

He is a former elite swimmer and member of the Danish national team, and he has also held leading positions at the Danish Technological Institute. Anders combines his scientific background with contributions to the global collaborative automation industry to change the way the world works.