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ith employers
struggling to find people with the STEM skills they need, even for entry-level jobs (see lead story opposite), industrial workers are increasingly seeing the benefits of working with robots, rather than humans, to improve productivity and relieve the pressures they are under. This is one of the findings of the latest research from ERP software vendor, Epicor. According to the research,
which questioned around 2,500 business respondents in 14 countries, staff are aware of the many benefits of working alongside robots. Over half say robots automate repetitive or mundane work that they would otherwise have to do themselves, and 34 per cent agree that robots are more efficient than humans in the workplace. It’s not just their efficiency that
makes robots attractive co- workers; a quarter cited the fact that robots do not get involved in workplace politics as a benefit of working with machines. To find that humans are happy
to work alongside robots is good news for employers that want to use cutting-edge technology, to plug a growing skills gap on their factory floors. The same research found that the industrial workforce is getting older, and that only a quarter of businesses are currently able to attract recruits with the right knowledge. The use of robots can introduce efficiencies where human resource is low, and they can also encourage young talent into industry, with 33 per cent of millennials wanting to work at the cutting edge of new developments. Other research backs up the discovery that rather than being worried about job losses, workers are actually ready and willing to embrace robot co-workers. This news bodes well for UK
industry as we move further into the digital age and robots become an integral part of the workforce. Collaborative robots will be a major topic at this year’s Automatica fair and we have our own conference taking place later this year which will address the subject. See page 6 for more news about the event.
Neil Mead - Director of Editorial 4 JUNE 2018 | AUTOMATION
SKILLS SHORTAGE COSTING STEM SECTOR £1.5BN SURVEY WARNS Almost half of STEM businesses are looking abroad to
K STEM businesses have warned of a growing skills shortage as they struggle to recruit qualified
workers in science, technology, engineering and mathematical fields. According to new findings from STEM Learning, one of the largest providers of STEM education and careers support in the UK, the shortage is costing businesses £1.5 billion a year in recruitment, temporary staffing, inflated salaries and additional training costs. The STEM Skills Indicator reveals that nine in ten
STEM businesses have found it difficult to hire staff with the required skills in the last 12 months, leading to a current shortfall of over 173,000 workers - an average of ten unfilled roles per business. The findings come as the UK is entering the ‘Fourth
Industrial Revolution’, a time of significant technological, economic and societal change, along with a Brexit outcome that remains uncertain, and severe funding challenges in schools. As a result, the recruitment process is taking much longer for the majority (89 per cent) of STEM employers, an average of 31 days more than expected, forcing many to turn to expensive temporary staffing solutions, hire at lower levels and train staff in-house, or inflate salaries by as much as £8,500 in larger companies to attract the right talent.
find the right skills, while seven in ten are hiring candidates without a STEM background or simply leaving positions empty. Businesses are concerned about the outlook too. Over
half expect the shortage to worsen over the next ten years, with expansion in the sector set to nearly double the number of new STEM roles required. Nearly one in five STEM businesses that are finding it difficult to recruit admit that employers need to do more to attract talent to the sector. STEM Learning is therefore calling for businesses to join its efforts to inspire young people in local schools and colleges and help grow the future workforce. Yvonne Baker, chief executive, STEM Learning said:
“We are heading towards a perfect storm for STEM businesses in the UK - a very real skills crisis at a time of uncertainty for the economy and as schools are facing unprecedented challenges. “The shortage is a problem for employers, society and the economy, and in this age of technological advancement the UK has to keep apace. We need to be in a better position to home grow our talent, but it cannot be left to government or schools alone – businesses have a crucial role to play too.”
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CO-FOUNDER OF UNIVERSAL ROBOTS WINS ENGELBERGER AWARD E
sben Østergaard, Co- founder and CTO of
Universal Robots has been awarded one of the automation industry’s most prestigious honours, the Engelberger Robotics Award by the American Robotic Industries Association (RIA). Østergaard spearheads the development of Universal Robots’ collaborative robot arms representing one of the most significant technology breakthroughs coming out of the robotics community in decades. The Engelberger Awards
dinner and ceremony will be held as part of Automatica 2018. President of RIA, Jeff Burnstein, calls the Universal Robots CTO a visionary in defining a new category of robotics. “His work in the field of collaborative robot applications has allowed robots to enter previously unthinkable sectors in just about every industry,” says Burnstein. “Esben Østergaard’s emphasis on robots that work side-by-side with people and are easy to use has created enormous
interest among many small and medium sized companies who never even considered robots before. In a world that is increasingly characterised by people and robots working together, Esben’s pioneering technology advances play a pivotal role.” Universal Robots’ 2008
launch of the world’s first commercially viable robot able to operate safely outside enclosures alongside people came at great financial risks in a market unaccustomed to human-robot
collaboration. Yet Esben Østergaard and his team prevailed by offering the industry a robot that was not only safe to work with but also lightweight, easy to use and flexible. “I’m deeply honored to
win the award named after Joseph Engelberger, who revolutionised industrial manufacturing with robotics,” said Esben Østergaard. “Engelberger’s view that a robot should be able to handle a range of tasks in a factory aligns with Universal Robots’ core mission, and I’m a great admirer of his work.”
COPA-DATA HOSTS ‘WORLD CUP OF AUTOMATION’ EVENT IN VIENNA I
ndustrial software manufacturer, Copa-Data, invited its global
partner companies to Vienna earlier this month for an interactive discussion on the possible applications of its automation software, zenon. The agenda for the Global Partner Academy (GPA) 2018 included presentations and in-depth workshops with experts, practical reference visits and international networking under the event slogan
‘World Cup of Automation’. Furthermore, Copa-Data partners obtained extensive know-how on the new zenon 8.00 and zenon Analyzer 3.20 software versions. This year’s Copa-Data GPA had
215 participants, representing 98 companies, from 30 countries. The third-annual GPA, the worldwide rendezvous for members of the Copa-Data partner community, brought together twice as many
people as it did in 2016. Johannes Petrowisch, head of corporate partnerships at Copa-Data, was delighted by this growth, commenting: “This GPA shows the continuous growth trajectory that we and our partners are experiencing worldwide. It is a strong sign that our zenon software is delighting so many experts throughout the world and that automation is advancing in harmony with digitalisation.”
/AUTOMATION
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