Frankfurt, 15th December 2015 — The Executive Board of the IFR has elected Joseph Gemma (KUKA Robotics Corporation US) as its new President. Mr. Gemma succeeds Arturo Baroncelli (Comau Robotics, Italy), who is leaving the rotating post as head of the global federation of robot manufacturers, having served his two-year term.

Joe Gemma has 30 years of experience working in the automation industry - appointed as CEO of KUKA Robotics Corporation US in October 2014. Mr. Gemma was previously CEO of the Stäubli Group for four years, where he held the North and South American business portfolio of the Swiss technology company. For more than fifteen years he promoted the business development at Stäubli sites in France and the USA. Until 1997, he worked for the US enterprises, Advanced Technology Systems, Crellin Technologies and Corner & Lada.

Mr. Gemma was formerly a member of various committees of the Robotic Industries Association, which covers the North American region. Before being elected President of IFR, Mr. Gemma assisted his predecessor, Arturo Baroncelli, as Vice-President, a role he held for two years.

Joe Gemma thanked the previous IFR President, Arturo Baroncelli, for his successful work: "The presidency of Arturo Baroncelli consistently focussed on lending transparency to the rapid development of robotics across the world, and clarifying it in a professional manner. As its new President, I am looking forward to continuing the work of the IFR guided by this vision. We are experiencing an exciting time with the technical breakthrough of the human robot collaboration. Automation and production are currently being revolutionised - service robots assuming roles in more and more new applications. With the latest generation of robots, we are changing the world."