Automation is fundamentally changing industries and workplaces. The International Federation of Robotics predicts that in a decade, more than half of production operators will be working with robots. Big companies? They’re already there, harnessing advanced technology and optimizing their output. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)? Not so much. Let’s take a moment to think about why this matters. Representing a whopping 99% of businesses, they’re the cogs and gears of U.S. and European economies — the backbone of job creation, supply chains, economic growth, and innovation. Overall, their role in building national economic resilience cannot be underestimated. The fact that SMEs have typically been slow to harness the benefits of automation matters because a slow pace of adoption is often what prevents businesses from achieving the resilience and efficiency needed to remain competitive. When SMEs lag behind, we all feel it. Manufacturing continues to decline in key markets such as the U.S. and the UK, with both reporting ongoing manufacturing downturns since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. With all their vigor and innovation, why have SMEs been hesitant to ride the wave of automation? One obvious point is that the robotics industry has traditionally been dominated by large, complex machines that require significant up-front investment and in-house expertise to keep them running.
Full report : Automation technology is creating incredible opportunities for Small and Medium Enterprises.
