In this article, Oliver Selby, BARA Chairperson and Head of Sales at FANUC UK, examines the transformative technologies currently being deployed in the industry and what trends might influence automation adoption in the coming years.
There are many global trends being reported from which we can gain insight, but which of these will solidify and show resilience in what is an ever-changing automation space remains to be seen. As reported by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), artificial intelligence and humanoids are leading the technical discussion.
While it’s clear that AI is becoming ever more present in our society and working practices, I believe that humanoids are some years off meeting the needs of industrial manufacturers compared with their industrial robotic counterparts, who are specifically deployed to do a certain task. While humanoids have a place in society, this is more likely to be outside of manufacturing and within the service industry.
One area that has been spoken about consistently over the past few years is the concept of digital twinning. Linked with the Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data, the idea of a true digital twin is being requested more at the point of equipment purchase and, interestingly, largely from SMEs that see it as part of their longer-term digitisation strategy. It’s clear that collating the right data to analyse can provide insight to help reduce waste, increase quality, reduce energy consumption and increase uptime. If a digital twin can help grow and maintain higher Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) it can therefore directly improve a business’ bottom line. The key to success in creating a digital twin is to ensure the data that matters is being collected, so it can be used to drive those future insights that will affect your business.
Other global trends that are driving automation growth are linked to challenges that we are seeing closer to home, such as the cost of energy and the drive towards sustainability. New markets including recycling, as well as existing industries like food and beverage, are looking for productivity gains and improved efficiencies. One of the biggest challenges many companies are experiencing is the skills shortage, in particular the lack of skilled employees to work in the manufacturing process (e.g., welders). Adding to this is a cultural shift that is depleting production line labour – fewer younger employees are willing to work entry-level positions with minimal opportunity for growth or development.
Closer to home, we also have additional trends and government polices driving change. The forthcoming changes to National Insurance and minimum wage are having an effect on businesses’ growth strategies, prompting many to at least investigate what processes they can automate to ensure competitiveness in what’s becoming a globally aligned marketplace. Companies are beginning to turn their focus more towards operational costs (OPEX), ensuring they are running as efficiently as possible – and with the cost of people and the cost of energy two of the biggest outgoings affecting firms today, it is inevitable that these two factors are key drivers for companies developing automation strategies.
Lastly, the government’s focus on developing and delivering an Industrial Strategy is being viewed as a positive step, and we have recently seen real engagement with stakeholders who can put forward the views of the SME community. Trade associations such as BARA have engaged with government officials and other organisations like MAKE UK to help support the productivity increases desperately needed to ensure UK manufacturers keep up with European and global competition.
For more information and insights the Automation UK exhibition is being held at the CBS Arena in Coventry 7-8 May 2025.
