UR’s Jonathan Sbert giving his opening keynote at Collaborate North America 2025. | Credit score: Brianna Wessling, The Robotic Report
Common Robots A/S held the primary U.S.-based occasion in its international sequence of regional conferences and commerce exhibits this week in Novi, Mich. Collaborate North America 2025 introduced collectively round 750 companions and potential prospects to indicate off collaborative robotic applied sciences within the UR+ Accomplice Ecosystem and to debate the way forward for the trade.
“The explanation this occasion has been so profitable is as a result of it’s the place the place we really get finish customers, our companions, and our distributors all collectively,” Jonathan Sbert, vice chairman of gross sales for the Americas at Common Robots (UR), instructed The Robotic Report. “Sometimes, in fact, now we have our salespeople on the market speaking to finish customers and speaking to our companions, nevertheless it’s uncommon that we’re really all collectively in a single place.”
Sbert stated an occasion like this, which the firm has additionally held in Mexico and China, places UR on the heart, in contrast to a typical commerce present. “It tends to be a bit of bit extra about us and fewer concerning the commerce present,” he stated.
“It’s the one time the place we will deliver finish customers round with our companions as a result of we do have loads of companions. We’ve bought over 1,200 globally, so it’s onerous for us to actually characterize all their capabilities,” Sbert stated. “It’s nice for them to sort of showcase their abilities and what they’ll provide so the tip customers can see that instantly.”
The U.S. is the third-largest cobot market, says UR
The U.S. at present is the third greatest cobot market on the earth, and Common Robots is inquisitive about rising its presence. The Odense, Denmark-based unit of Teradyne Inc. hopes to do extra regional exhibits like Collaborate within the Southeast and Northeast, stated Sbert. This manner, it could go on to its prospects as an alternative of constructing them spend their already tight budgets on touring to bigger exhibits.
This outreach technique also needs to assist Common Robots attain extra small and midsize enterprises (SMEs) throughout the U.S., Sbert stated. The variety of SMEs is each a power and a weak spot available in the market.
“It’s loads of small and medium-sized enterprises. In fact, you could have massive automotive and huge prescription drugs and the industries that we work in at the moment,” Sbert stated. “Nevertheless, loads of these prospects are small mom-and-pop retailers, if you’ll, which are loyal to their workers. And generally, automation could be seen as a menace to these workers.”
Common Robots stated this isn’t the case. As an alternative, it claimed that its robotic arms could make operations extra environment friendly whereas aiding human staff.
Collaborate exhibits off accomplice community
A.I. Automation demonstrates its explosion-proof portray robotic with the UR20 at Collaborate 2025. | Credit score: Brianna Wessling
The celebs of Collaborate had been the members of the UR+ ecosystem. These companions put collectively about 30 totally different cobot-powered methods to show purposes comparable to welding, high quality inspection, materials dealing with, machine tending, meeting, portray, and palletizing.
“On the finish of the day, the explanation our accomplice community works is our robotic actually does nothing out of the field; it’s only a general-purpose product,” Sbert stated. “So, the ecosystem for us is actually the best way finish customers make our product do one thing that they want completed.”
“After we search for companions, we’re all the time in search of material experience,” he continued. “In fact, now we have some general-purpose companions that may just about do any resolution {that a} buyer wants. However we additionally actually wish to get deep into sure verticals.”
For instance, welding, an more and more frequent software for cobots, requires a excessive stage of experience, Sbert stated. Common Robots then seeks out companions with experience in such purposes, making its accomplice ecosystem important to its enterprise mannequin.
“Constructing one thing that’s exterior of the robotic just isn’t one thing that’s actually in our ambitions,” Sbert stated. “On the finish of the day, I feel our power is our accomplice community. In comparison with our competitors, I feel we stand on our personal with regards to not solely the breadth of companions however the true engagement that now we have with them.”
Register at the moment to save lots of 40% on convention passes!
UR plans for 2025 and past
At Collaborate, Sbert hinted at Common Robots’ subsequent product releases. “The beauty of having 1,200 companions is you could have 1,200 factors of suggestions on what the following product may very well be or how one can make this product higher,” he stated.
“For us, the secret on this robotic area is payload, attain, and pace. These are the three levers that we will work with. Proper now, our longest-reaching robots even have among the highest payloads. Typically, you simply want attain; you don’t essentially want payload,” Sbert stated. “I feel there are totally different mixes that you are able to do to actually make sure that the client’s not overpaying for one thing that they’re not likely using.”
As well as, synthetic intelligence and machine studying, paired with fewer individuals going to high school for expert labor positions, means there will likely be many alternatives cobots, Sbert stated.
“There’s going to be a scarcity of expert labor,” he stated. “I feel there’s going to be a large alternative to see the place automation can actually assist fill the gaps.”
