Brussels, 07/07/2009 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has repeated it many times: investment is necessary, as well as increased synergies between the three key elements in the knowledge triangle (education, research and innovation) in order to make Europe more competitive in research and development. In Brussels, on Tuesday 7 July, the EUROP platform (European Robotics Technology Platform) presented a strategic framework for developing the robotics sector in Europe until 2020 (“Robotic Visions to 2020 and Beyond - The Strategic Agenda for Robotics in Europe”). This initiative pursues the European Commission's objectives developed within the CARE framework (Co-ordinated Action for Robotics in Europe), a project founded by DG Information Society and Media at the European Commission within the 6th framework programme. This roadmap draws up a list of collaborative ventures to develop for promoting ideas and conceptual developments and crossing the academic and scientific spheres in search of commercial partnerships capable of translating the results obtained in research and technological innovation. Horst. J. Kayser, the president of EUROP, emphasised: “This Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) will not be judged on the detailed accuracy of its visions, but on its ability to stimulate collaboration and investment in the technology and infrastructure required to achieve a viable robotics industry in Europe in 2020”.
Industrial robots have now become the spinal column of European manufacturing industry. This trend has speeded up massively, given the 7 million robots already in use in the world (more than18 million in 2011). They will help to reduce costs, increase productivity and replace workers in the most menial and dangerous jobs. They will also be increasingly used to facilitate the daily lives of an ageing population. Industrial robots will also be ideal substitutes at a time of serious shortages of skilled personnel in certain sectors, compounded with ever urgent productivity demands. Mr Kayser affirmed: “It was of utmost importance to us not to pass up this potential today and in the future. It must be consolidated within Europe so that we can maintain and even increase our leading position”. EUROP's strategy is the result of three years of intensive research in which no fewer than 130 leading European companies in the science and technology sector took part. It is based around eight fundamental principles: 1) take advantage of robotics technology in all aspects of life; 2) master the challenge of system integration; 3) create a European robotics supply chain; 4) focus on the right research and technologies; 5) create new markets though SME support and technology transfer; 6) support cross-fertilisation to maximise the impact of R&D; 7) enhance robotics training and education; 8) prevent ethical, legal and societal issues becoming barriers. The most difficult question was finding consensus among the experts, who do not all share the same vision of robotics, conceded Mr Kayser. He stressed that rather than forcing them to find common ground, they had tried to merge the most important findings from the different opinions. Mr Kayser said that the “academic world, on the other hand, is motivated by finding new ways of solving problems. They look at fundamental science and develop new technologies. It is these technologies, which will fulfil the requirements of the industry in order for them to be able to launch new products”. The strategic framework mentions 39 Product Visions which will be key products to develop in the future, according to experts. These can be pooled in six cross-sector areas (robots used for completely replacing work; robots that help workers; logistical workers used for transporting travellers and goods; robots used for surveillance; robots used for exploring and inspecting dangerous environments; and those used in education and leisure). Professor Herman Bruyninckx, the coordinator of EURON, a network created under the 5th research framework programme, which aims to create partnerships between the university and scientific world in robotics and which actively participates in EUROP's work, said that “the SRA contains dozens of advanced research challenges but the challenge is to stimulate academia to solve them”. According to Bruyninckx, the problem is located in the lack of communication between scientists and businesses. He asserted: “Our universities' evaluation procedures lead to too many, too fragmented, too expensive and too inaccessible publications!” Professor Bruyninckx believes that most of the problems could easily be resolved by way of constructive dialogue between the two parties. (I.L./transl.rh)