Collaborative robots – or cobots – remain the fastest growing segment of industrial automation, projected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 30.37% during 2020–2025. Cobot market pioneer Universal Robots (UR) solidified its frontrunner position today by selling the 50,000th UR cobot, which was purchased by a German manufacturer to enable higher productivity and better employee safety. "The first three cobots are named Elfriede, Günther and Bruno. We will name our new cobot Jürgen to honor the fact that UR's president came here in person to deliver it." "We have worked very hard in the past 15 years to develop an entirely new market segment with a mission to enable especially small- and medium sized companies to automate tasks they thought were too costly or complex," says von Hollen, emphasizing how UR has created a new global distribution network, a new ecosystem of developers, and ultimately a completely new business model.

After getting a preview of what is on tap for HANNOVER MESSE 2019, it appears that attendees are in for another exciting event. During a January preview for the event, over 120 journalists, including yours truly, gathered for presentations and discussions from the Hannover Messe team, and over 40 exhibitors, expanding on the topics and technologies that so many will experience. Onuora Ogbukagu - the Corporate Spokesman and Director Marketing & Communications Industry, Energy, Logistics, for Deutsche Messe AG in Hannover - opened that Preview Event sharing topics this year which include digitalization, industrial automation, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and energy solutions. Dr. Jochen Köckler, CEO, Deutsche Messe AG, followed up in his overview of HANNOVER MESSE 2019 trends and topics by noting, "The 72nd year of Hannover Messe and it is booming with more than 6, 500 exhibitors from more than 75 countries is truly an international trade fair." Köckler also highlighted 2019 keynote themes for these topics including integrated industry, Industry 4.0, artificial intelligence/machine learning, and 5G for Industry.