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MOTORINDIA
l
June 2012
123
Republic of Korea and Japan.
The current figures of VDMA
Robotics and Automation prove be-
yond doubt that the automation tech-
nology is in for further transforma-
tion. Following the growth of 35 per
cent in 2011, the association expects
further growth of four per cent in the
current year. This market situation
was obvious at Automatica, and the
fair scored in all survey results with
a good business mood and satisfied
participants.
The independent market research
institute TNS Infratest declared that
96 per cent of the visitors were more
than satisfied with the offers made,
and 95 per cent confirmed the lead-
ing trade fair character of the show.
A total of 84 per cent commended
the topic sustainable technologies
and hailed the VDMA initiative
Blue Competence.
Top grades from exhibitors
The exhibitors felt happy that the
presence of a great number of visi-
tors at the fair proved ideal for their
sales activities. More than 720 ex-
hibitors from 40 countries displayed
their solutions for the manufactur-
ing industry, 30 per cent of them
from foreign countries. The five top
exhibitor countries, in addition to
Germany, were Italy, Switzerland,
Austria, the US and France, in that
order. A total of 91 per cent cited
the quality of visitors and confirmed
their high degree of decision-mak-
ing competence. Almost 94 per cent
indicated that they would participate
in the trade fair again.
Exhibitors highly impressed
Thomas Visti, Vice President at
Universal Robots ApS from Den-
mark, said: “Automatica is extreme-
ly important for us as robot manu-
facturers. To put it succinctly, it is
the right trade fair in every aspect!
The general level of visitors is very
high, and we are really very satisfied
with the number of visitors too.”
Thilo Brodtmann, Managing Di-
rector of VDMA Robotics + Auto-
mation, said: “Automatica did com-
plete justice to its role as the leading
international trade fair for robotics
and automation. It ignited innova-
tion fireworks with pioneering solu-
tions for production optimization,
energy and resource efficiency, fu-
ture mobility and lightweight con-
struction. Visitors do not get such a
comprehensive overview anywhere
else of how they can increase their
competitiveness and consequently
business success in the long term.”
All praise from the political
sphere
Robert Madelin, Director General
for the Information Society of the
European Commission, opened the
trade fair, visibly impressed as the
EU representative: “Automatica has
quickly established itself as one of
the leading international trade fairs
in robotics and automation. This is
my first time here, and I am hugely
impressed by what I am seeing from
the hundreds of exhibitors, the ma-
jority of whom are from Europe.”
Dr. Bernhard Heitzer, Under-Sec-
retary in the German Federal Min-
istry of Economics and Technology
(BMWi), observed: “Robotics and
automation have become indis-
pensable in our modern industrial
society. Automatica has become
the showcase for modern robotics
and automation technologies in the
meantime. It has become the largest
of its kind in the world. Exhibitors
prove their innovative force impres-
sively here.”
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IFR CEO Roundtable deliberations in progress at Automatica 2012