The IFR Committees recently gathered in a series of virtual meetings. These conversations replaced our regularly scheduled meetings during the automatica tradeshow, which would have been last week.

Dear Reader,

The IFR Committees recently gathered in a series of virtual meetings. These conversations replaced our regularly scheduled meetings during the automatica tradeshow, which would have been last week. Even though they lacked our usual opportunity for face-to-face, one-to-one networking, our virtual assembly worked astonishingly well, creating a feeling of solidarity in these difficult times. In total, 75 people gathered in five web discussions to review preliminary results of the IFR statistics, exchange views and ideas, and push our industry further after COVID-19.

The coronavirus has impacted our economy and our personal lives for more than four months now. While it is hard to imagine what the future will look like, there are hopes that the market will slowly recover, and that business will return to normal in fall. The situation differs across the globe. Some countries are leading the way toward recovery, while infection rates are increasing in others. One would imagine that economic recovery will also come at varying times.

The past months proved to be a showcase of the benefits of robotics, demonstrating how automation can help companies become more flexible and adapt to volatility in the marketplace. Robots were used to quickly adapt manufacturing lines for production of personal protective equipment, respirators, and other goods desperately needed by frontline personnel. New solutions have been developed and deployed for robots in service. For example, disinfectant robots and robots for home delivery and telepresence robots saw unprecedented attention.

Over the course of time, automation is expected to become even more important to a company’s success by safeguarding competitiveness, maintaining supply chains, and reducing human contact in manufacturing to avoid infections. The media have quickly acknowledged these success stories, and robotics has received tremendous attention in the news and from the broader public. It is clearly integral to the future of manufacturing.

We should move forward with confidence, patience and persistence to get through this crisis, to learn from the opportunities it presents, and to come out stronger.

Stay safe, and best wishes to you, your families, and your teams.

Milton Guerry