Automatica 2008

The German machine-building and engineering industries are enjoying record numbers and its robotics and automation sector is one of its strongest sub-segments. The German market was the focus of a business breakfast entitled "Meet Who's Making the Future" on June 11th, hosted by Invest in Germany. It took place during the Automatica 2008 trade fair in Munich, Germany and featured guest speakers from the electronics and photovoltaics (PV) sectors, two growing application industries for automation technologies.

Robots are quickly becoming a growing sub-segment of the German engineering industry. In 2007, turnover for robots increased 22%. One growth area is the PV sector. It is essential for PV companies to bring costs down. Therefore they have a strong need for automation. Since Germany is the world's largest PV market, the country is a natural choice for automation companies.

PV was the focus of Dagmar Vogt's presentation. She is managing director of ib vogt GmbH. The Berlin-based company offers project management and engineering services for factory design in the PV industry. Her presentation titled "Growth Sector Photovoltaic Industry" noted that PV is a growing industry and needs automation technologies to reduce costs and achieve "grid-parity." She added: "trends and challenges of the solar sector offer countless chances for the supplying industry. With intelligent solutions it can become an important partner in supporting the growth and professionalization of the solar sector."

Stamping technology is another growing market for applications of automation technologies. Thorsten Hepp, Marketing & Sales Manager at LEONARD KURZ Stiftung & Co. KG, a producer of hot stamping technology, discussed industry developments in RFID antenna technology. Hepp explained how to maximize economic benefits from RFID applications. He argued, "The higher price of the RFID tag, the higher must be the resultant economic benefit from the application."

Germany's research landscape is a major attraction for foreign investors. Martin Hägele, head of the Robotic Systems Department at Fraunhofer IPA, a leading German research institute located in Stuttgart argued in his presentation that robots and automation "will increasingly contribute to competitiveness in manufacturing." This will be achieved via the cost reductions resulting from increased automated processes. IPA is a forerunner in service robots in Germany with respect to both market studies and system as well as component development.

Invest in Germany is the inward investment promotion agency of the Federal Republic of Germany. It provides investors with comprehensive support from site selection to the implementation of investment decisions. www.invest-in-germany.com