Universal Robots continues to achieve high double-digit growth

Juergen von Hollen

Universal Robots has continued its rapid global expansion with a growth rate of 62 percent compared to the previous year. This has further strengthened the pioneer in collaborative robot technology's market leadership. The user-friendly robotic arms, which can be used without protective enclosures, are affordable for companies of all sizes and are now considered market drivers in industrial robot technology. With a turnover of more than €88.9 million* and a pre-tax profit of €12.35 million** in 2016, Universal Robots' annual results demonstrate the growth of this market.

Jürgen von Hollen, President of Universal Robots, considers the net result satisfactory and expects a further revenue growth of 50 percent or more in 2017. The company remains on course to achieve its revenue target of one billion Danish kroner*** by the end of 2017.

“We must stay ahead of the times and drive innovation in everything we do. Therefore, continuous expansion of our company is one of our priorities to sustain our annual growth. Compared to 2015, we more than tripled our own investments in 2016, especially in research and development. This enables us to maintain our product leadership and be the partner of choice for collaborative robot solutions,” says von Hollen. “Ongoing investment in our personnel is equally important to us: more than 50 percent of the investment volume in 2016 was allocated to Universal Robots' human resources, thereby expanding our capabilities, expertise, and global presence.”

By gaining additional market share in emerging markets, Universal Robots has more than doubled its global presence with local offices in 11 countries. In 2015, there were five locations, but today the company is represented with its own branches in the USA, Spain, Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic, China, Singapore, India, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea. At the same time, the company has expanded its strong sales network, now covering more than 50 countries worldwide.

Eight years after Universal Robots sold its first robotic arm, the global market for collaborative robots is entering a new growth phase: Before the invention of the so-called cobots, automation was limited to a relatively narrow range of manufacturing tasks. Companies whose manufacturing processes required a high degree of dynamism and flexibility were consequently reliant on manual assembly. Thanks to collaborative robots, they are now able to utilize flexible, user-friendly, and safe automation technology that enables sustainable growth.

Their versatile application possibilities make UR robots universal automation tools. Jürgen von Hollen: “Our technology is a trailblazer for all companies – not just large corporations – to safely automate their production processes. We also create additional value with Universal Robots+, focusing on developing a global ecosystem of technology partners around our products. Through Universal Robots+, customers have access to application solutions supported by an innovative, worldwide developer network that continuously produces new innovations.”

As a leading manufacturer of collaborative robots, Universal Robots has been able to quickly establish its global market share and leverage the benefits of the impressive growth in this sector. “Our goal is to further expand our market share. Because collaborative robotics will experience sustained, explosive growth in the coming years as small and medium-sized enterprises increasingly adopt collaborative robot technology,” summarizes Jürgen von Hollen.

In spring 2015, Teradyne Inc., a leading provider of automation equipment for testing and industrial applications, acquired Universal Robots. The close collaboration has since enabled Universal Robots to utilize Teradyne’s global reach and resources for its own growth.

* 662 million DKK - average exchange rate 2016
** 92 million DKK - average exchange rate 2016
*** 134.23 million euros - average exchange rate 2016