Back in the 1970s, Denmark was one of the first countries to invest in wind turbines as part of a national policy, a move that eventually enabled the country to become a global leader in wind power technology. Fast forward to today and the government has turned its attention to robotics, with Denmark’s Minister of Industry, Business & Financial Affairs unveiling the world’s largest hub for collaborative robots – or cobots – in Denmark’s third largest city, Odense, in 2020. Roughly 8 500 people already work in the Danish robotics industry, which is a significant change from 15 years ago, when Denmark really didn’t have any robotics industry to speak of. So why is Denmark putting its might behind the robotics industry and what role does IoT play in it?
The Danish government’s support of the robotics industry is the next generation of Danish green initiatives, designed to promote a more sustainable, livable society. The government is actively working with stakeholders– universities, institutes, private enterprises – to give them what they need to innovate, grow, and remain competitive by focusing on the industry’s key needs in order to deliver tangible results. One initiative is called Inter Urban Vehicles, which focuses on how to successfully deploy robots into urban areas. But this isn’t the only area where robots are being developed and used across Danish society.