euRobotics Announces World’s Largest Civilian Robotics Research Program

TheEuropean Commissionand180 companies and research organisations, collectively named euRobotics,has today launch the world's largest civilian resea...

The European Commission and 180 companies and research organisations, collectively named euRobotics, has  today launch the world's largest civilian research and innovation programme in robotics.

Covering manufacturing, agriculture, health, transport, civil security and households, the initiative – called SPARC – is the EU’s industrial policy effort to strengthen Europe’s position in the global robotics market, aiming for €60 billion a year by 2020.

This initiative is expected to create over 240,000 jobs in Europe, and increase Europe’s share of the global market to 42 percent (a boost of €4 billion per year). The European Commission will invest €700 million and euRobotics €2.1 billion.

European Commission Vice President Neelie Kroes said: "Europe needs to be a producer and not merely a consumer of robots. Robots do much more than replace humans – they often do things humans can’t or won’t do and that improves everything from our quality of life to our safety. Integrating robots into European industry helps us create and keep jobs in Europe.”

President of euRobotics Bernd Liepert said: "SPARC will ensure the competitiveness of European robotics industries. Robot-based automation solutions are essential to overcome today’s most pressing societal challenges - from demographic change to mobility to sustainable production".

Robotics enables companies to continue manufacturing in Europe, where they might otherwise move operations to lower-cost countries.

But the potential of robotics goes far beyond the factory: from helping nurses in hospitals to inspecting dangerous power plants and tedious farm work. Autonomous cars and drones are other examples of robots.

See the infographic below for more on the SPARC programme.