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Japanese robots are going to become a more common sight in Europe. Rising wages are boosting demand for factory robots that can process everything from handling food to welding cars. For their manufacturers, which are starting an aggressive push, there is room for growth.
日本機器人將在歐洲變得更加常見。不斷上漲的工資推動了對工廠機器人的需求，這些機器人可以處理從搬運食品到焊接汽車等各種事務。它們的製造商正開始積極出擊，還有成長的空間。
Fanuc, one of Japan’s largest robotics companies, has quadrupled the size of its Spanish sales hub near Barcelona, adding to its expansion in Europe where it already has 10 facilities, including in Germany, Italy and Turkey.
日本最大的機器人公司之一發那科(Fanuc)將其位於巴塞隆納附近的西班牙銷售中心的規模擴大至原來的四倍，進一步在歐洲擴張——該公司已經在德國、義大利和土耳其等地擁有10家工廠。
Until now, demand for robot workers has been largely concentrated in Asia with about three-quarters of newly deployed robots installed in the region. Asia’s urgent need for automation has been growing over the past decade as low birth rates and a labour shortage from an ageing population increasingly cause problems for companies.
到目前爲止，對機器人工人的需求主要集中在亞洲，新部署的機器人中約有四分之三安裝在該地區。過去10年，隨著低出生率和人口老齡化導致的勞動力短缺日益給企業帶來問題，亞洲對自動化的迫切需求一直在成長。
China has long been the largest market for Japan’s robot companies. The number of robots used in manufacturing in China reached a ratio of 322 units per 10,000 employees in 2021, exceeding robot density in the US. For Fanuc, the country accounted for almost 30 per cent of its sales in fiscal 2022.
長期以來，中國一直是日本機器人公司的最大市場。2021年，中國製造業中使用的機器人數量達到每萬名員工322臺，超過了美國的機器人密度。對發那科而言，中國佔其2022財年銷售額的近30%。
But Chinese orders during the quarter to December quarter fell more than a third, the biggest drop among the markets it operates in. That is partly down to the local economic slowdown but also the results of price competition from local rivals that are entering the market.
但在截至去年12月的季度，來自中國的訂單下降了逾三分之一，是該公司運營的市場中降幅最大的。這在一定程度上要歸因於當地經濟放緩，但也要歸因於進入市場的本土競爭對手的價格競爭。
The cost of a standard robot arm is about $330,000. As labour costs rise around the world, the required investment to improve productivity is starting to look more attractive than ever before. Growth in negotiated wages in the eurozone rose 4.7 per cent in the third quarter last year, the highest on record, before slowing slightly to 4.5 per cent in the fourth quarter.
一個標準機械臂的成本約爲33萬美元。隨著全球勞動力成本的上升，提高生產率所需的投資開始變得比以往任何時候都更具吸引力。去年第三季度，歐元區協商薪資成長4.7%，爲有記錄以來的最高水準，隨後在第四季度略微放緩至4.5%。
Companies were already struggling to find workers in the EU’s tight labour market. Volkswagen has been using Fanuc’s robots for about a decade. The machines themselves are also becoming more sophisticated, able to handle an increasing number of tasks, such as painting, welding, quality inspection and handling dangerous chemicals. Generative artificial intelligence functions will help increase the scope of robot activities as object detection and real-time decision-making enhance efficiency and productivity.
在歐盟緊張的勞動力市場上，企業已經很難找到工人。大衆(Volkswagen)已經使用發那科機器人大約十年。機器本身也變得越來越複雜，能夠處理越來越多的任務，如噴漆、焊接、質量檢查和處理危險化學品。生成式人工智慧功能將有助於增加機器人活動的範圍，因爲物體檢測和實時決策可以提高效率和生產力。
Shares in Fanuc, which boasts gross margins of almost 40 per cent, are down a fifth from their June peak reflecting concerns about a slowdown and mounting competition in China. But Europe, whose revenue contribution to group sales is only 17 per cent, provides ample room for growth. The robots are coming.
擁有近40%毛利率的發那科股價較6月份的峯值下跌了五分之一，反映出市場對中國經濟放緩和競爭加劇的擔憂。但對該公司銷售額貢獻僅爲17%的歐洲，提供了充足的成長空間。機器人要來了。