UR’s Jonathan Sbert giving his opening keynote at Collaborate North America 2025. | Credit score: Brianna Wessling, The Robotic Report
Common Robots A/S held the primary U.S.-based occasion in its international collection of regional conferences and commerce reveals this week in Novi, Mich. Collaborate North America 2025 introduced collectively round 750 companions and potential clients to indicate off collaborative robotic applied sciences within the UR+ Accomplice Ecosystem and to debate the way forward for the business.
“The rationale this occasion has been so profitable is as a result of it’s the place the place we truly get finish customers, our companions, and our distributors all collectively,” Jonathan Sbert, vice chairman of gross sales for the Americas at Common Robots (UR), advised The Robotic Report. “Usually, in fact, now we have our salespeople on the market speaking to finish customers and speaking to our companions, however it’s uncommon that we’re truly all collectively in a single place.”
Sbert stated an occasion like this, which the firm has additionally held in Mexico and China, places UR on the heart, in contrast to a typical commerce present. “It tends to be slightly bit extra about us and fewer in regards to the commerce present,” he stated.
“It’s the one time the place we are able to carry finish customers round with our companions as a result of we do have a whole lot of companions. We’ve bought over 1,200 globally, so it’s exhausting for us to actually characterize all their capabilities,” Sbert stated. “It’s nice for them to sort of showcase their abilities and what they will provide so the top customers can see that straight.”
The U.S. is the third-largest cobot market, says UR
The U.S. presently is the third greatest cobot market on the earth, and Common Robots is involved in rising its presence. The Odense, Denmark-based unit of Teradyne Inc. hopes to do extra regional reveals like Collaborate within the Southeast and Northeast, stated Sbert. This fashion, it will possibly go on to its clients as an alternative of creating them spend their already tight budgets on touring to bigger reveals.
This outreach technique must also assist Common Robots attain extra small and midsize enterprises (SMEs) throughout the U.S., Sbert stated. The variety of SMEs is each a energy and a weak spot available in the market.
“It’s a whole lot of small and medium-sized enterprises. In fact, you might have giant automotive and enormous prescribed drugs and the industries that we work in at this time,” Sbert stated. “Nonetheless, a whole lot of these clients are small mom-and-pop outlets, if you’ll, which are loyal to their workers. And typically, automation could be seen as a risk to these workers.”
Common Robots stated this isn’t the case. As a substitute, it claimed that its robotic arms could make operations extra environment friendly whereas aiding human employees.
Collaborate reveals off accomplice community
A.I. Automation demonstrates its explosion-proof portray robotic with the UR20 at Collaborate 2025. | Credit score: Brianna Wessling
The celebrities of Collaborate had been the members of the UR+ ecosystem. These companions put collectively about 30 totally different cobot-powered techniques to show functions akin to welding, high quality inspection, materials dealing with, machine tending, meeting, portray, and palletizing.
“On the finish of the day, the rationale our accomplice community works is our robotic actually does nothing out of the field; it’s only a general-purpose product,” Sbert stated. “So, the ecosystem for us is actually the way in which finish customers make our product do one thing that they want executed.”
“After we search for companions, we’re at all times on the lookout for subject material experience,” he continued. “In fact, now we have some general-purpose companions that may just about do any resolution {that a} buyer wants. However we additionally actually need to get deep into sure verticals.”
For instance, welding, an more and more widespread utility for cobots, requires a excessive stage of experience, Sbert stated. Common Robots then seeks out companions with experience in such functions, making its accomplice ecosystem important to its enterprise mannequin.
“Constructing one thing that’s outdoors of the robotic is just not one thing that’s actually in our ambitions,” Sbert stated. “On the finish of the day, I believe our energy is our accomplice community. In comparison with our competitors, I believe we stand on our personal in the case of not solely the breadth of companions however the true engagement that now we have with them.”
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UR plans for 2025 and past
At Collaborate, Sbert hinted at Common Robots’ subsequent product releases. “The wonderful thing about having 1,200 companions is you might have 1,200 factors of suggestions on what the subsequent product might be or how one can make this product higher,” he stated.
“For us, the secret on this robotic house is payload, attain, and pace. These are the three levers that we are able to work with. Proper now, our longest-reaching robots even have a number of the highest payloads. Typically, you simply want attain; you don’t essentially want payload,” Sbert stated. “I believe there are totally different mixes that you are able to do to actually ensure that the client’s not overpaying for one thing that they’re not likely using.”
As well as, synthetic intelligence and machine studying, paired with fewer individuals going to highschool for expert labor positions, means there will probably be many alternatives cobots, Sbert stated.
“There’s going to be a scarcity of expert labor,” he stated. “I believe there’s going to be an enormous alternative to see the place automation can actually assist fill the gaps.”
