Day: 6 February 2020

Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR) and Universal Robots (UR), the two flagships of the Danish robotics industry, are to share 32,000 m2 (334,000 square feet) in a new ‘cobot hub’ in the city of Odense, the heart of Denmark’s rapidly expanding robotics cluster.

With financial backing from their joint U.S. parent company Teradyne, Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR) and Universal Robots (UR) have acquired a 50,000 m2 building site in Odense, where $36 million will be invested in the construction of a major cobot hub in the “cobot capital” of the world. Collaborative robots – or cobots – are now the fastest growing segment of industrial automation. Cobots are a type of user-friendly robot that can work closely with humans without the need for safety guarding, enhancing both the work environment and productivity.

The new cobot hub supports Teradyne’s mission to further strengthen the significant leads that both MiR and UR have established worldwide.
“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 Danes’ combination of innovative industrial design, combined with a practical business sense, have created a perfect combination for this emerging industry. 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.”

“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 outgrowing our current offices in Odense, both at UR and MiR,” says the UR President. “Odense has a strong ecosystem of talent and we are pleased to have the opportunity to invest long-term in the unique robotics environment that we have been building here over the last 10 years.”

NB: the picture shows the vision of the new Cobot Hub in Odense. The final architectural design has not yet been determined.

53-year-old Spaniard Ernesto Domínguez has been named President and CEO of Toyota Material Handling Europe (TMHE). He replaces Matthias Fischer, who is to leave the business.

Domínguez has been Managing Director for Toyota Material Handling France (TMHFR) since 2016.

His career started at Brilen, a Spanish synthetic fibre and PET bottles producer, followed by a shorter session as Lieutenant in the Spanish army. As Financial Director, and later on as its Managing Director, for Germany-owned Eisenmann Española SA, he entered the business areas of logistics solutions, automated systems and AGV’s.

In the year 2000 he was appointed Managing Director of BT España, later on transformed into Toyota Material Handling España SA.

“Ernesto Domínguez has proven his ability as a leader in a new context, his strong support for our sharpened strategy and decisiveness to reach set goals. We very much look forward having him leading the way towards our future,” says Terry Unnai, Chairman of Toyota Material Handling Europe.

He takes up the reins on April 1.

 

Jens Wollmann (above) became Department Head Dachser DIY-Logistics at the start of the year. He is taking over from Ralf Meistes, who founded and grew Dachser DIY-Logistics and headed it for more than 20 years. Meistes retired at the end of 2019.

The Dachser DIY-Logistics industry solution has been around since 1998. “It has become established on the market over the last 20 years. Its annual shipment volume, currently at five million, clearly underlines the relevance of the logistics solution, which is specially tailored to the requirements of the global garden and DIY sector,” says Stefan Hohm, Corporate Director Corporate Solutions, Research & Development, who is in charge of Dachser’s global industry solutions business. The successful Dachser DIY-Logistics model, which combines the core services of Dachser’s global network with specific services and expertise for the DIY sector, is set to continue growing. “The demands placed on DIY-Logistics from suppliers, retailers, and consumers are changing more dynamically than ever, which is why we’re focusing on our range of tailored logistics services and the growing internationalization of the industry solution,” says Jens Wollmann in explaining the core tasks of his new position.

Wollmann has almost 20 years’ experience in the logistics industry, having spent over half of them at Dachser. After training to be a freight forwarding agent, the 43-year-old began his career at the company in 2004. For nine years, he worked in many positions within the Dachser Air & Sea Logistics business field, including in sales and in key account management. He left the company in 2013 for DHL. He held various sales positions there, most recently Head of Business Development & Account Management South, before returning to Dachser in spring 2018. Since then, he has been preparing to take over from Ralf Meistes within the Dachser DIY-Logistics industry solution.