The Perfect Couple: Japanese Robots and German Autos

BERLIN and TOKYO, November 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Germany Trade & Invest at the International Robot Exhibition 2011

Germany's automotive industry is driving sales of industrial robots to new highs. Robotic industry experts expect turnover to increase by over 40 percent in 2011 in some segments, breaking revenue records. Recent foreign investments, including Japan's Yaskawa Corporation, have given the German industry an extra boost. Germany Trade & Invest will have experts at this year's International Robot Exhibition (IREX) in Tokyo from November 9 - 12 to share business opportunities in Germany.

"German manufacturing is known worldwide for its efficiency and quality. Growth in robotics has been facilitated by Germany's strong economic performance, allowing companies to invest in the efficiency of their production lines," stated Marko Kolbe, robotics industry expert at Germany Trade & Invest in Berlin.

Individual industry segments expected to see the largest sales growth are for assembly and handling technology (42 percent growth), robotics (38 percent), and image data processing (20 percent), with total sales expected to surpass 14 billion dollars (EUR 10.3 billion) in 2011.

Japanese robotics manufacturer Yaskawa recently announced a multimillion dollar investment in a new European headquarters near Munich. The company plans to move into its new location in August 2012.

"Germany is the ideal location for foreign companies to locate their European headquarters, as Yaskawa's investment shows. From here, industrial robot makers can reach Germany's world-class manufacturers as well as the entire European market," Kolbe continued.

Germany Trade & Invest and the Fraunhofer IPA will be exhibiting the award-winning Bionic Handling Assistant by FESTO - inspired by an elephant's trunk - as an example of the latest Made in Germany robotics technology at this year's IREX.

Germany Trade & Invest is the foreign trade and inward investment promotion agency of the Federal Republic of Germany. The organization advises foreign companies looking to expand their business activities in the German market. It provides information on foreign trade to German companies that seek to enter foreign markets.

Germany Trade & Invest
Andreas Bilfinger
Email: andreas.bilfinger@gtai.com
T: +49(0)30-200099-173
F: +49(0)30-200099-511