President’s Report by Milton Guerry
Mar 23, 2022 — On February 20, the global community was rocked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. We are saddened to see the impact of this violence, particularly that which is directed toward civilians. IFR strongly opposes any use of weaponized automation. Our mission is to support robotics for peaceful use, human efficiency and economic progress.
Dear Reader,
On February 20, the global community was rocked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. We are saddened to see the impact of this violence, particularly that which is directed toward civilians. IFR strongly opposes any use of weaponized automation. Our mission is to support robotics for peaceful use, human efficiency and economic progress.
This sad and disturbing news hit our community after two years defined by the pandemic, just as the world was about to roll back restrictions and trade fairs were opening their doors again. It is too early to predict how quickly this conflict will be resolved or what kinds of implications it will have on our sector. Nonetheless, I would like to look forward, to focus on the opportunities available within the robotics community today.
From March 9-12, iREX 2022 fair in Tokyo once again opened its doors to present the latest developments in industrial as well as service robots. Although the event was based in Japan, there was an online extension to allow the rest of the world participate in the show. This year's theme, "The Way towards Friendlier Society, bridged by Robots", is timely and certainly should set an example to other parts of the world.
At the end of March, Advanced Factories 2022 in Barcelona is showcasing robotics and industry 4.0 technologies, mainly to the southern Europeans.
The busiest time of the year for roboticists certainly will be June. Automate (June 6-9 in Detroit) and then automatica (June 21-24 in Munich) will both physically open their doors for the public for the first time in three and four years, respectively.
We are looking forward not only to face-to-face business meetings and networking, but also in-person meetings of the various IFR bodies. For those who cannot join in-person, we will hold IFR meetings in hybrid format, so that the latter can join us at least virtually.
In two Executive Roundtables, we will take a closer look at two of the most important questions for the robotics industry at the moment:
- How is robotics and automation transforming the economy? What impact will the pandemic, reshoring, supply chain issues, and the labor shortage have on the market development?
- How do robots enable a green, sustainable future? Are circular economy, sustainable mobility, and the shift to renewable energy sources enabling sustainable production?
The Roundtables will gather executives from leading robot suppliers, end users, and politics. For those who cannot attend on-site, we will provide a summary afterwards.
On June 20-21, the 54th International Symposium on Robotics – ISR Europe 2022 - will gather participants from both industry and research in Munich and offer an insight into state-of-the-art robot technologies. The new Business Track will offer invited speakers from the industry the opportunity to present their latest developments. Last but certainly not least, a jury from IFR and IEEE RAS will select the winner of this year's IERA Award for innovation and entrepreneurship in robotics and automation.
Take care and see you soon!
Milton Guerry
