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Building European robotics roadmap
With Europe continuing to fall behind the US and China in robotics and industrial automation, the need for a coordinated, forward-looking robotics roadmap has become increasingly urgent. Such a roadmap would serve not only as a strategic vision, but also as a practical framework to align stakeholders across research, industry, and policy.
Competitiveness and technological sovereignty
By clearly identifying priority sectors, investment needs, and innovation targets, Europe could focus its resources more effectively and accelerate the adoption of robotics technologies where they are most needed, particularly in labor-scarce industries like agriculture, construction, and manufacturing. Without a unified direction, fragmented national initiatives and inconsistent support mechanisms risk undermining Europe’s industrial competitiveness and technological sovereignty. A well-crafted roadmap would provide the long-term clarity and confidence needed to mobilize public and private investment, foster cross-border collaboration, and ensure that Europe does not remain a follower in the next industrial revolution, but rather emerges as a proactive, innovative force.
Demographics, migration, and the workforce gap
Supporting the robotics sector is not only a matter of technological progress; it is a strategic necessity for maintaining Europe’s economic competitiveness and social cohesion in the face of demographic decline. As Europe faces profound demographic challenges—marked by an aging population and increasingly fragmented migration policies that vary from one country to another—robotics and automation could offer a compelling and scalable solution to mitigate the growing workforce gap. Demographic dynamics are contributing to persistent and growing labor shortages in labor-intensive sectors such as agriculture, logistics, construction, and elderly care.
Complementing workers and unlocking sector gains
By complementing human labor rather than replacing it, robotics can help sustain productivity levels, reduce dependence on volatile migration flows, and support the long-term resilience of Europe’s industrial base. Moreover, robotics can help companies improve profitability and become more competitive. In the agrifood sector, for example, personnel costs account for up to 60% of total fixed expenses. Adopting automation would not only address labor shortages but also unlock significant cost savings, helping to preserve the economic viability of farming. Autonomous machines for farm-site inspection, precision planting, harvesting, livestock feeding, and surveillance are becoming a reality thanks to real-time perception and machine learning—especially in countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland—though the transition to fully autonomous machines remains incomplete. In construction, which heavily relies on inbound migrant labor, robotic technologies could be adopted across almost the entire sector, helping to deliver measurable productivity gains. Retail—where margins are often thin—can also benefit strongly: automating restocking, inventory checks, and checkout can cut costs, boost efficiency, and free staff for higher-value roles, supporting profitability in an increasingly competitive landscape (dynamics frequently highlighted by insurance and industry research, including work from the Allianz research team).