Japan has been the global leader in robotics since…well, forever, really, as the country rapidly became the dominant player in robot development in the 1960s and 70s, and has has yet to yield the title.
That said, the competition in the robotics industry is catching up fast, and major players in Korea, China and the U.S. are catching up to or even surpassing Japan in many aspects of robotics technology. That’s why it’s not too surprising to hear Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called earlier this month for a “robot revolution” to help keep Japan as the king of the robotics hill.
Japanese PM Abe calls for “robot revolution”
Japan’s skills with robotics are a big part of why PM Abe is calling for a “robot revolution” right now. Increases in computing power, improved recognition of voices and images and better machine learning could give the country a big boost in dealing with an aging populace and a shrinking workforce.
In a speech at Japan’s Robot Revolution Initiative Council on May 15, Abe told businessmen to “spread the use of robotics from large-scale factories to every corner of our economy and society.” In specific, the “robot revolution” is designed to increase the use of intelligent machines in manufacturing, supply chains, construction and health care, and to boost sales of robot technology by 2020.
Japanese dominance in robotics is threatened
Japanese firms including Fanuc, Yaskawa Electric and Kawasaki Heavy Industries hold over half of the global market in industrial robots, according to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). Of note, companies based in Japan also have a 90% market share in parts including precision gears, servo motors and specialized sensors.
The government, however, is clearly worried about Japan’s continued dominance in the robotics sector. China has more than 500 robotics firms, and the market share of Chinese firms in China grew from 4% in 2012 to 13% in 2014, putting Japanese companies squarely under the gun to innovate or continue to lose market share.
