NEWS & EVENTS
ADOPTING AUTOMATION
FANUC
RUGBY MP PRAISES FANUC UK FOR CHANGING
PERCEPTION OF INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION AT
INAUGURAL OPEN HOUSE
Rugby MP, Mark Pawsey, has praised FANUC
for bringing the manufacturing industry
together and hopes that it will help change
the perception attached to automation in the
UK, after attending the company’s inaugural
UK Open House event on Thursday 31
October.
Hosted at FANUC’s UK headquarters in
Ansty Park, Coventry, Mr Pawsey, who is
also a member of the Business, Energy and
Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee, was
speaking on the final day of the event, which
brought UK industry together to discuss
the challenges of adopting automation in
the UK. Discussing the BEIS Committee’s
recent report, Automation and the future
of work, Mr Pawsey highlighted some of its
key findings and recommendations to UK
Government, including the need for progress
and to remove the slow uptake of automated
systems.
The report, which was published in
September highlighted the UK’s slow
adoption of automation, and explained
how it is being hampered by a lack of action
from the Government. Stating that there are
entire regions of the country at risk of being
left behind G7 competitors, the report from
the BEIS Committee argued that, unless
concerted efforts are made to manage the
transition to the Fourth Industrial Revolution,
UK businesses will miss a pivotal opportunity
for economic growth.
Speaking at the event, Mark Pawsey said:
“This event is bringing together, not only
customers, but people from around the
industry. I’m hoping the coverage of this
event will play its part in changing people’s
perceptions about the opportunity that
robots will provide.”
Mr Pawsey’s appearance came at FANUC’s
first UK Open House, which saw over 600
manufacturing professionals attend over the
course of the three-day event. Organised to
promote automation and the opportunities
that lie ahead for UK manufacturing, the
event also covered topics including the
necessity for smart manufacturing and the
Internet of Things.
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PECM Issue 42
FANUC’s UK Managing Director, Tom Bouchier,
who also provided evidence to the BEIS
Committee ahead of its report, said: “This is
the first time we have hosted this event and
opened our doors to such in-depth industry
discussion. Over the last three days, we have
received fantastic engagement from industry
peers and also debated the future of our
industry. academia and universities, as well as how to
overcome the skills shortage. Tom Bouchier
concludes: “Perhaps the biggest challenges
facing UK manufacturing surrounds
education. Ensuring that school and
university curriculums are exposing people
to new technologies from a young age, as
well as providing a clear route for anyone
interested in studying the subject, is essential.
“We have discovered that there are a number
of avoidable barriers preventing the UK’s
adoption to automation, and it was great to
hear from MP Mark Pawsey on the challenges
that the BEIS Committee has submitted to
UK Government. It is important that attitudes
change and we hope that our three-day event
has helped open people to new ideas and
ways of working. Automation provides the
UK with significant opportunities, not only on
the potential economic impact, but also the
productivity of UK manufacturers. However,
we need to act now and ensure that the
current scepticism surrounding automation in
the UK is addressed.” “We have also heard the different challenges
facing SMEs across the UK, which was also
discussed in the BEIS Committee’s recent
report. The report calls for funding of an
impartial source of advice for businesses
looking to invest in automation, and the
discussions we have seen at our event appear
to back this idea up.
The three-day event also highlighted the
concerns around support for the UK’s
“We hope that our event has not only
provided a platform to continue this
important discussion, but also paves the way
for the UK to adopt automation across all
manufacturing sectors.”
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