95 percent of the Swedish manufacturing companies regard an increased level of automation as a key success factor for the Swedish industry as a whole.
– The survey shows loud and clear that a majority of Swedish manufacturing companies realises that they need to increase efficiency and competitiveness through automation in order to maintain our position on the global market place. There are no alternatives, says Anders Ekdahl, chairman of the think tank AutomaThink and CEO of Sinf, Swedish Industry Association.
The think tank AutomaThink is part of iAutomation; a concept created by fair organizer Elmia and Svenska Automationsgruppen, SAG (alliance of industry associations). The concept iAutomation rests on two legs; the creation of new business in the automation industry through the trade fair Elmia Automation and industry development by raising important issues through AutomaThink. Members of the think tank are representatives from research institutes, industry, unions, employers' confederation, chambers of commerce and export organizations.
The survey or automation index, in which 200 manufacturing companies from all over Sweden participated, was commissioned by AutomaThink and carried out as part of Sinf, Swedish Industry Association's the quarterly survey. 67 per cent of the companies in the survey rated themselves as having a low or medium level of automation and a clear majority, over 60 per cent believes that increasing the level of automation would have a positive influence on the company. When it comes to success factors for the industry as a whole the answer was all but unanimous, 95 per cent ranks automation as key.
– We must meet the future by evolving the level of technology and making it a natural part of the industry's future. Here the level of automation plays a key role and therefore it is absolutely necessary to inform the Swedish industry of the tools available and advantages to be had, says Manne Seifter, member of the think tank AutomaThink and chairman of Svenska Automationsgruppen.