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Questions to be answered

• How to address the recent global developments from a European perspective?
• How can we make regulations to stimulate innovation?
• What are the concrete challenges in the next few months and how to address them?
• What ideas have emerged in ERF that we should take forward?

Description

This workshop is intended to draw together the strands of the discussions that will begin at the General Assembly and continue throughout the Forum about the macro picture of robotics in Europe.

Recent global developments have underscored shifting geopolitical and economic dynamics, with increasing emphasis on technological sovereignty, supply chain resilience, and sustainable innovation.

Europe faces growing competition from other regions investing heavily in robotics and AI, while also navigating regulatory frameworks that balance innovation with ethical and environmental considerations.

For the European robotics community, this presents both challenges and opportunities. While Europe is a leader in industrial and service robotics, it remains dependent on non-European suppliers for critical components, such as sensors, processors, and batteries. This dependency raises concerns about supply chain stability, cost, and long-term competitiveness.

To strengthen Europe’s position, we must enhance innovation capabilities, foster strategic partnerships, and invest in local production and R&D. This workshop will explore pathways toward greater European resilience in robotics:

What are the most pressing issues in the coming months?

How can industry, policymakers, and researchers collaborate to tackle them?

How can the speed of innovation and market uptake in this ecosystem be increased?

How can Europe reduce dependencies and build a more self-sufficient robotics ecosystem?

What risks do different approaches here pose?

What collaborative actions are needed between policymakers, industry, and researchers?

What other questions arise from your perspective?

Organisation of the WS

14:00 - 14:15 Introduction by the organizers and recap of ideas that emerged at ERF

14:15 - 15:00 Group work

15:00 - 15:20 Conclusion - feedback from the “question hosts” and next steps.

Statements will be collected throughout the ERF, please reach out to the workshop organizers to share your statement beforehand.

Intended outcome

This workshop session aims to discuss Europe’s strategic response to global developments, identifying key challenges in robotics and how these can be addressed:

Addressing Immediate Challenges – What are the most pressing issues in the coming months, and how can industry, policymakers, and researchers collaborate to tackle them?

Stimulating Innovation, Not Just Regulation – How can policies support technological growth while maintaining ethical and sustainable standards?

Strengthening Europe’s Position – How can Europe reduce dependency on external suppliers and enhance its robotics ecosystem?

Expected Outcomes:

• Challenge definition and description.
• Concrete next steps to strengthen Europe’s robotics sector.
• Clear priorities for reducing supply chain dependencies.
• Policy recommendations for a more innovation-friendly environment.
• Several documents containing our discussion circulated to the attendees for further refinement

Speakers, Panelists, etc

• José Saenz
• Franziska Kirstein
• Elisabeth Schärtl
• Rich Walker

Topic Groups and/or Innovation networks involved

• TG Standardization, TG Safety
• TG Sustainability

Projects involved

Further information

Organisers

• José Saenz
• Franziska Kirstein
• Elisabeth Schärtl
• Rich Walker