In what is a welcomed spin on the old saying, ‘What goes up must come down’, it seems that after a rocky GFC related year in 2009, the global robotic industry is actually on the mend.

Reports of increased sales from Australian robot suppliers and integrators have been optimistic. I recently spoke with ABB Australia’s Robotics Account Manager Olivier Coquerel who agreed by saying, “Just seven months into the year, we have already seen a 52 percent improvement in units, when compared to 2009. Granted, 2009 was not such a good year due to the GFC!” Mr Coquerel added, “It is interesting to note that we are up about 10 percent from 2008, which was just before we started to feel the affects of the GFC.”

According to Mr Coquerel it’s not only ABB Australia who is celebrating the bolstered sales, “Our records show that systems integrators all over Australia are also posting improved results. Going by these figures it would seem that things are looking up across the board.”

Just as promising as our own local reports, the latest figures released in the US by the industry's trade group, Robotic Industries Association (RIA), reveal that North American based robotics companies saw orders jump 40 percent in units in the first half of 2010.

President of RIA, Jeffrey A. Burnstein explains, “In North America, the biggest gains came in orders by non-automotive companies, where units rose 51 percent," adding, “This is a very positive sign for our industry as it continues to expand into a wide-range of industries such as semiconductor, electronics and photonics, food and beverage, plastics and rubber, consumer goods, and life sciences. Each of these market segments posted substantial gains in the first half of 2010, while automotive orders also grew 30 percent."

With such positive reports, are we finally free and clear of the GFC and its residual affects?

In Jeff Burnstein’s opinion, the poor results of 2009 make the current comparisons appear quite strong, "We still have a long way to go before the industry is back to pre-recession sales levels, but I'm very encouraged that we're headed in the right direction," he said.

On a local level, one of the key reasons for the impressive figures is reportedly the result of several 2009 projects finally getting the green light, after being on hold during the uncertainty. Many Robot Integrators have purported their enthusiasm in the renewed industry confidence and optimism, saying that enquiry numbers have increased with manufacturers being spurred on to begin new robotic endeavours.

By all accounts, the trends are likely to continue…let’s hope so.

Onwards and upwards!

By Prue DeAraugo