Smaller businesses are investing in robotics, as affordability and ease of use remain on the rise, bringing a new automation wave to Denmark.

Recent products showcasing the push toward Industry 4.0 in Scandinavia show the region’s strong emphasis on simpler programming and mobile adaptability.

UAS research in Denmark has supported deployment of drones to North Greenland for Arctic studies. The collaboration between university, government, and business partners is a model for European and international drone commercialization.

The need for European industry to push for unified drone legislation and specific use cases for unmanned systems were among the topics at TUS Nordics 2017.

The European and international unmanned systems community gathered at the TUS Nordics 2017 event in Odense, Denmark, this month. One end user discussed how more autonomous drones would be helpful for precision agriculture.

The UAS Denmark International Test Center & Cluster is intended to be hub for European drone testing, with friendly government regulation, access to university research, and an entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Mobile Industrial Robots’ MiR200 is designed to be safe, easy to use, and flexible. The company’s rapid growth over the past year indicates the market’s hunger for mobile robots, and end-user cases demonstrate its response to that hunger.

Blue Workforce A/S has partnered with a Chinese investor to set up a unit in Hong Kong and expand its production and marketing for its Ragnar collaborative robot. The pick-and-place robot is part of a wave of Danish robotics.

Robotics training modules in the Universal Robots Academy can help end users such as Whirlpool implement UR arms and develop their own applications.

Universal Robots has continued its rapid expansion worldwide. The company that pioneered and commercialized collaborative robot technology continues to leverage its first mover advantage and market leadership position.

Robotics is seen as an enabler for reshoring to the U.S. and Europe because it can save costs and move production closer to the end user. See how some Danish companies are leading by example.

On Robot and OptoForce have received significant investments for their gripper and sensors, respectively, which serve the growing global cobot market.

EffiMat Storage Technology has entered the competitive supply chain automation market with its vertical storage system, and it has kept end-user needs in mind when developing its robots.

Autonomous Solutions is working on bringing autonomy to farm tractors and service robots, but autonmous systems like self-driving cars must account for dumb humans, says its CEO.

Autonomous Solutions CEO Mel Torrie is bullish on autonomous systems. Learn how his business model serves different vertical markets, including security and law enforcement.

The theory of disruptive innovation states that relatively simple products, services, and applications can move upmarket and shake up market leaders. See how Blue Workforce’s Ragnar robot for material handling follows that model.

The U.K. vote to leave the European Union was a shock for the small London robotics company. What does the Brexit mean for the industry and international funding?

Will the so-called Brexit harm U.K. industrial automation? Not so, say experts, who cite competitive pressures, the ongoing need for trade and technology partners, and desires for negotiated solutions.

ABB’s YuMi collaborative robot won an invention and entrepreneurship award at Automatica. The company also showed off heavy-duty robots, SafeMove2 software, and IoT-based services as it responds to a sluggish but growing market.

Collaborative robot maker Universal Robots unveiled its Universal Robots+ online showroom and +You developer forum at this year’s Automatica show.

RoboBusiness Europe 2016 included exhibitions and discussions about assistive robots. Denmark is investing in “super” hospitals that will rely on auotomation for efficiency.

The disinfection robot from Blue Ocean Robotics can kill up to 99.9 percent of infectious bacteria and viruses within 10 minutes. This robot could help patients avoid healthcare-associated infections, which are the third most-common cause of death in Mexico.