THE PHILIPPINES needs to seize market opportunities for automation as it still lags behind its regional neighbors in terms of adoption, a Danish robotics firm said.

In a statement, Shermine Gotfredsen from Universal Robots (UR), a renowned manufacturer of collaborative robotic technology, cited   the International Federation of Robotics, which ranked the country “among the lowest in the region for automation adoption with a robot density of three industrial robots installed per 10,000 employees in 2016, behind Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia with robot density of 488 units, 45 units and 34 units each.”

Still the company sees “further potential” for the Philippines to catch up as it introduced a second partner, local machinery and automation solutions supplier Asia Integrated Machine, Inc. (AIM). to launch a one-stop automation solution for manufacturing firms, which covers processing, weighing, packaging, inspection, conveying, palletizing and warehousing.

“The Philippines is an important market for us, with strong adoption of UR cobots in the electronics, automotive and F&B industries that has surpassed our expectations,” said Ms. Gotfredsen, who heads UR’s Southeast Asia and Oceania operations.

The partnership will see AIM deploy and offer customized automation solutions comprising end-effectors and accessories for UR’s collaborative robots (cobots).

“The Philippines needs to seize automation opportunities to stay competitive and avoid losing ground to its neighbors. We are committed to supporting local businesses adopt our cobot solutions, working closely with our partners in the Philippines to make automation accessible to all. We offer free seminars and technical workshops on cobots in the Philippines and welcome local companies to learn how cobot technology can benefit their businesses.”

AIM is UR’s second channel partner in the Philippines after Elixir Industrial Equipment, who has been instrumental in growing UR’s distribution base in the country since 2016. UR aims to work closely with both partners to help more businesses remain competitive through automation by improving productivity and performance quality.