The next generation of workforce: technology upgrades for robots

By 2022, it is expected that nearly 4 million operational industrial robots in stock will be working in factories around the world. These robots will play a vital role in automating production to accelerate economic development after the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, robots are driving the demand for skilled workers. The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) believes that education systems must effectively adapt to this demand.

“Governments and companies around the world need to focus now on providing the right skills needed to use robots and intelligent automated systems. This is important to maximize the opportunities these technologies offer,” said Milton Guerry, President of the International Federation of Robotics. “The post-COVID-19 recovery will further accelerate the deployment of robots. Policies and strategies are important to help employees transition to a more automated economy.”

EIU Index

According to the Automation Readiness Index published by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), only four countries have developed mature education policies to meet the challenges of the automated economy. South Korea is the leader among these countries, followed by Estonia, Singapore and Germany. Countries such as Japan, the United States, and France are advanced countries, while China is listed as an emerging country. The EIU summarizes the tasks that governments need to put on the agenda: more research, multi-stakeholder dialogue and international knowledge sharing.

educate

Robot suppliers support the education of the workforce through practice-oriented training. "Retraining the existing workforce is only a short-term measure. We have to start early - the curriculum of schools and undergraduate education needs to match the industry's needs for the future workforce. The demand for technical and digital skills is growing, but cognitive skills such as problem solving and critical thinking are just as important. Economies must embrace automation and build the skills needed to be profitable, or they will be at a competitive disadvantage," said Dr. Susanne Bieller, Secretary General of the IFR.

IFR Executive Roundtable - automatica, Munich, December 2020

The IFR Executive Roundtable will take place on December 9 during "automatica", the world's leading trade fair for intelligent automation and robotics in Munich, and will discuss the topic "The next generation of workforce - technological upgrades for robots".