ABB: New boss in Germany, joint venture with largest automotive supplier in China
Of the established and large robotics groups, ABB seems to me to have been the most dynamic for some time: purchase of Asti Mobile, purchase of Sevensense, presentation of the Cobots, major investments in China, robot cells and now opening up new industries. But maybe ABB's press department just thinks about the MRK blog more often than those of its competitors. In China, ABB has established a joint venture with HASCO, the largest automotive supplier. With modern technology including artificial intelligence, "highly flexible" manufacturing is to be made possible. ABB is thus strengthening China's automotive industry, which is already gaining strength. Both CEOs were involved in initiating the joint venture, in which ABB holds a 40% stake. Understandable from ABB's point of view, but not pleasing for German automakers and their suppliers.
Now there is an interesting personnel decision to report, since it concerns Germany. Last week, ABB Robotics already got a new world boss with Marc Segura. Below is the press release concerning Germany:
ABB has appointed Jörg Rommelfanger as the new head of its Robotics division in Germany, effective January 1, 2022. In addition, the 48-year-old will continue to be responsible for the Robotics division's entire automotive and supplier business in Germany as head of the Automotive business line. Jörg Rommelfanger succeeds Jörg Reger, who has had overall responsibility for the Automotive business line at global level since January 1, 2022.
In addition to expanding the core business, one of Jörg Rommelfanger's most important tasks in his new role is to open up new industries and business areas that have previously had no or a low level of automation. These include industries such as logistics and healthcare, whose need for automation has increased further in the wake of the pandemic. The company offers a comprehensive range of robotic automation solutions and services for this purpose - from the lightweight and easily programmable collaborative robots YuMi®, GoFaTM and SWIFTITM to autonomous mobile robots (AMR) and scalable logistics cells such as FlexBufferTM.
As Head of the Automotive Business Line in Germany, Jörg Rommelfanger also focuses on the expansion of flexible and scalable production concepts for automotive manufacturers and suppliers. Corresponding cell-based robotics solutions allow customers to take into account a diverse mix of drives and to adapt logistics and production according to order volume and degree of customization. In addition, there are robot-based solutions for final assembly, which until now has been poorly automated, and innovative paint cells such as PixelPaint for individual and sustainable vehicle painting.
"Whether it's the ongoing e-commerce boom, changing buying behavior, or the Corona pandemic, the tensions facing companies across a wide range of industries have never been greater. So there's no better time than now to take production and logistics to the next level. With our robotics and automation solutions, companies are able to manufacture flexibly and at the same time meet the increasingly important requirements in terms of individualization and sustainability," emphasizes Jörg Rommelfanger. "All the more reason for me to look forward to supporting new and existing customers as well as our partners in Germany on this journey with a powerful team."
Jörg Rommelfanger looks back on more than 20 years of experience in the robotics and automation industry. After holding positions at carat robotic innovation GmbH and KraussMaffei Technologies GmbH, he started his career at ABB in 2012 and subsequently held various management positions at local and global level. Jörg Rommelfanger holds a degree in mechatronics engineering from Bochum University of Applied Sciences and a postgraduate degree in business administration from the Distance Learning University of Hagen.
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The author of this blog is significantly involved in the AI/robotics project Opdra. He advises robotics companies and investors on market (entry)/ business development and funding/subsidies. More about him can be found here.