About a third of the world’s industrial robots are produced in Europe, but the Commission warns that Europe should not rest on its laurels. It is calling on the industry to intensify its efforts to produce critical components, such as gears, in Europe to avoid being dependent on other regions of the world.

According to Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media, there is a huge untapped potential in the EU`s robotics sector. "There is a clear window of opportunity for automation industries in Europe – in particular, robotics – not just to maintain leadership, but to grow further and to move higher up the value chain," she says. "To achieve this, the industry has to intensify its efforts in several areas."

The global market for industrial robots currently stands at €4bn and is forecast to grow by 4.2% per year until 2010.