Two leading automation suppliers have moved in together. Collaborative robot leader Universal Robots A/S and autonomous mobile robot, or AMR, provider Mobile Industrial Robots ApS today celebrated the grand opening of their new 215,000-sq.-ft. headquarters in Odense, Denmark.
Both companies are units of Teradyne Inc., which acquired Universal Robots (UR) for $285 million in 2015 and Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR) for $272 million in 2018.
“The launch of this new headquarters marks a significant milestone for Teradyne Robotics as we bring together two leading companies in robotics innovation,” stated Ujjwal Kumar, group president of Teradyne Robotics. “We will now have the optimal environment to evolve our technological capabilities, which are already in high demand.”
Kumar was a keynote speaker at the Robotics Summit & Expo earlier this month. Universal Robots won a 2024 RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award for its UR30 cobot.
Teradyne Robotics said it has more than 1,400 employees in over 32 offices worldwide, and about 34% of the cobot market. The North Reading, Mass.-based company added that it has deployed a total of more than 80,000 robots globally and that it has invested over $100 million in robotics and automation.
Teradyne partners participate in grand opening
Partners from Universal Robots and Mobile Industrial Robots’ global ecosystems attended the event, including NVIDIA and Siemens, with whom Teradyne Robotics and its companies have recently announced several collaborations.
The opening included a panel discussion featuring Deepu Talla, vice president of robotics and edge computing of NVIDIA, Rainer Brehm, CEO of Siemens Factory Automation, and Kumar. The panelists discussed the use of “physical AI” across industries and how advanced automation could transform businesses and workplaces.
UR and MiR plan to innovating
Construction of the new robotics hub in Denmark began in April 2022, and 550 people will work at the research and development facility. It will also include a new showroom and training rooms for in-person robot training. The headquarters does not include production facilities.
“Since our foundation, UR has become a platform of choice for thousands of customers and hundreds of ecosystem partners,” said
Kim Povlsen, president of Universal Robots. “This beautiful building reflects our strong design philosophy and provides the perfect location for us to continue our mission to deliver automation for anyone, anywhere.”
At Automate in Chicago last week, Universal Robots’ collaborative robot arms were part of more than 50 exhibits on the show floor. The company also demonstrated AI-powered piece picking, welding, and other applications, and its PolysScope X software will soon include NVIDIA technology.
Just as it has applied technologies from Energid to UR cobots, Teradyne said it has applied lessons and intellectual property from AutoGuide to add artificial intelligence to MiR AMRs.
“Our new headquarters is designed to foster innovation, providing the perfect setting for our teams to develop leading-edge solutions that will revolutionize automation,” asserted Jean-Pierre Hathout, president of Mobile Industrial Robots. “MiR is committed to being a one-stop-shop for material handling, continuously advancing our technology to meet the evolving needs of our large, global customers.”
“Our recently launched AI-powered MiR1200 Pallet Jack exemplifies this dedication. I’m thrilled to witness the transformative impact of our endeavors and to showcase MiR’s and UR’s offerings to our customers and partners at this state-of-the-art facility.”
