Teradyne to build $36M robotics hub for cobot development

Robotics companies Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR) and Universal Robots (UR) are building a $36-million “cobot hub” facility in Denmark.

The companies, both owned by Teradyne, have acquired a 50,000-square-metre site in the city of Odense to continue their development of collaborative robots (cobots).

MiR markets autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) that manage internal logistics, while UR produces flexible cobots that are safe for humans to work with. The companies will remain separate entities.

The building site is in Odense’s industrial district close to UR’s current headquarters, which will also become part of the new cobot hub.

“Teradyne continues to invest aggressively in the development of new products, solutions, and sales channels and this new facility is a key part of our growth strategy,” says Mark Jagiela, president and CEO of Teradyne.

To date, Teradyne has invested more than half a billion USD in MiR and UR, both Danish robotic companies.

“We have found something very special in Denmark. The Danes’ combination of innovative industrial design, combined with a practical business sense, have created a perfect combination for this emerging industry,” says Jagiela.

“The ability to make robots work in collaboration with humans in a user-friendly manner is something we have not encountered to this degree anywhere else in the world and we’re very excited to expand our capabilities in Odense.”

MiR has hired 100 new employees the past year, with UR adding 280 new staff members during the past two years.

UR employs almost 700 people, worldwide while MiR’s staff is around 220 globally.