For many smaller food and beverage producers, automation can seem a chore and a half. However, the future for robotics and automated solutions might challenge their pre-existing perceptions.
By Agatha Wong, assistant editor
In the past few years, robots and automated solutions have made their steady mark on the industry. According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), robot installations in the food and beverage industry grew 12% on average each year from 2016 to 2021. In 2021, a new peak was reached, at 14,502 units of installed robots, up 18% from the previous year.
Asia-Pacific, in particular, has served as a robust market for robot installations, with 74% of all newly deployed robots in 2021 installed in Asia, an increase from 2020’s 70%. Within Asian, the region’s largest adopter of robots is China, with approximately 270,000 units shipped; Japan and South Korea following suit. Furthermore, South East Asia’s industrial automation and process control market is expected to reach $4.97bn by 2025, demonstrating a clear signal and demand for automated solutions.
“The robust growth is driven by multiple factors, including labour shortages, manufacturers’ focus on efficiency and sustainability, increased food regulations particularly around hygiene, requirements for digitisation and changing consumer habits,” shared James Taylor, general manager, APAC, OnRobot.
The full article can be found here.
