Most companies are currently feeling the negative impacts of pandemic-induced labor shortages. This problem has been made worse by a baby boomer workforce that’s transitioning to retirement and a reluctance by young workers to enter traditional industries, like manufacturing.
While the situation is becoming dire, there could be some light at the end of the tunnel. Cobots, which are robots that work collaboratively with humans could be the solution to this problem. Cobot-related jobs are higher paying than typical factory jobs and they involve working with technology, which is attractive to young workers entering the job force. Additionally, training for many cobot-related jobs can be accomplished through technical certifications that do not require college degrees.
Two successful and growing companies in this space are Universal Robots and OnRobot, both coincidentally originating from Denmark and expanding globally.
Cobots from Universal Robots are designed to share a workspace with humans, making automation easier than ever before for businesses of all sizes. Universal Robots has sold more than 50,000 cobots which are used in several thousand production environments every day around the world.
OnRobot makes end-of-arm tooling, grippers and sensing mechanisms that are compatible with most robot and cobot brands. OnRobot’s collaborative automation technology has leveled the playing field for small and medium size manufacturers. OnRobot’s technology improves cycle time and can improve productivity by 50% or more.
There are hundreds of other companies in this space that are leading the way to a brighter future and better, safer jobs. Increased use of cobots could be one strategy that will help us transition out of the pandemic and stimulate sustainable economic growth.