Forbes on The Robot Report’s Frank Tobe “FoxConn’s Parent Plans to Double Industrial Robot Population in Less than Five Years”
By Alex Knapp, Forbes
FoxConn’s Parent Plans To Double Industrial Robot Population In Less Than Five Years
Taiwanese manufacturer FoxConn made headlines last summer when it announced that it was aiming to use one million robots to replace part of its workforce in its factories in about three to five years. Now that goal is well on its way.
Terry Gou, the President of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. (FoxConn’s parent) has signed a letter of intent to build a robotic manufacturing hub in the Central Taiwan Science Park. This is apparently where the robots to work in FoxConn’s factories will be built, and ground was broken on a Research and Design facility for robotics last Saturday. According to Gou, this is the first step towards Hon Hai building a “kingdom of robotics.” According to Gou, the project is expected to generate about $4 billion in revenue over the next few years.
Frank Tobe of the Robot Report is excited by the news. “This will double the world’s industrial robot population! An amazing feat and a blow to German and Japanese robot manufacturers who had hoped to get a share of the business.”
I’m a little surprised myself. Like other robotics manufacturers, I had expected the bulk of FoxConn’s robots to be purchased, not built. It’s an interesting move for the company that represents, I think, a real faith that robotics are going to skyrocket in the near future. Clearly, Hon Hai wants to be in on the ground floor of that revolution.
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