Industrial automation giant Teradyne has invested US$36 million to build a new home for its Danish robot builders Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR) and Universal Robots (UR).
Teradyne has acquired a 50,000 square-metre building site in Odense, Denmark, to develop a collaborative robot hub. Collaborative robots are now Teradyne’s fastest growing segment of industrial automation.
Cobots are user-friendly robots that can work closely with humans without the need for safety guarding, enhancing both work environment and productivity.
“MiR and UR are leading the world in the collaborative robot revolution that’s making automation solutions available to companies of all sizes. Teradyne continues to invest aggressively in the development of new products, solutions, and sales channels and this new facility is a key part of our growth strategy,” says Mark Jagiela, president and CEO of Teradyne.
“We have found something very special in Denmark. The ability to make robots work in collaboration with humans in a user-friendly manner is something we have not encountered to this degree anywhere else in the world and we’re very excited to expand our capabilities in Odense.”
This is not the first time the MiR and UR owner has provided cash support for robot development in Denmark. To-date, Teradyne has invested more than US$500 million in the two young Danish robotic companies.
“Denmark has a significant lead in the global market for cobots. Investing ambitiously in building the world’s largest cobot hub right here in Odense makes a lot of sense,” says Thomas Visti, CEO of Mobile Industrial Robots. “Offering a strong, professional environment with superb facilities enables us to attract talent from all over the world.”
MiR has hired 100 new employees the past year, with UR adding 280 new staff members during the past two years. Today, the two companies have 160 and 450 employees respectively based in Denmark. UR employs almost 700 employees worldwide while MiR’s staff counts a total of around 220 globally.
Jürgen von Hollen, President of Universal Robots, sees enormous potential in the cobot market.
“This is a market expected to grow to a total value of almost $12 billion in 2030, according to ABI Research. Demand for Danish cobots already means that we are growing out of our current offices in Odense, both at UR and MiR,” says Hollen.
The Danish robotics industry is currently booming; the 2019 annual survey from trade association Odense Robotics shows that 8,500 people now work for Danish robotics companies, 3,900 of them in and around Odense, Denmark’s third largest city.
