Manufacturing Biz #6 - Magazine - Page 7
“As ageing populations and labour
shortages intensify, humanoids
could take on repetitive, physically
demanding tasks — augmenting rather
than replacing human workers in
labour-intensive industries.”
under the most optimistic scenarios.
Europe may hold a competitive edge in
the supply chain thanks to its expertise
in precision engineering and automotive
manufacturing, particularly in actuator
systems, which account for around half of
production costs.
China is also emerging as a major force,
accounting for the majority of new
humanoid robot models and rapidly
scaling its innovation and manufacturing
footprint.
“Humanoid robots represent a structural
shift in automation,” said Zornitsa
Todorova, Head of Thematic FICC
Research at Barclays. “As they move
from concept to commercial reality, the
implications for labour markets and
industrial strategy are profound.”
Barclays’ Impact Series uses data-driven
analysis to explore economic, demographic
and disruptive changes affecting markets,
sectors and society at large.
The key findings of today’s report
include:
Why now: Demographic pressures and
labour shortages are creating demand
for humanoids in manufacturing,
logistics, healthcare and other sectors
struggling to fill critical roles.
The ‘three Bs’: Advances in brains
(software), brawn (physical motion
capabilities), and batteries are driving
cost declines. Actuators — the robotic
“muscles” — are the largest cost
component, accounting for roughly
50% of humanoid production costs.
Industrial overlap: Humanoids
share complexity with automotive
manufacturing, offering Europe a
natural advantage.
Investment opportunity: As
humanoid production scales, physical
AI is emerging as the next major
industrial theme — shifting value
creation from software to hardware. This
opens new upside for actuator makers,
precision-component suppliers and
automation leaders who were largely
absent from AI’s first wave.
Read the full report here.
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