Factories have been transformed by automation, with robots now taking on a considerable proportion of jobs once done by people – lifting heavy loads, assembling parts, and more.

Some manufacturers are edging toward a future of factories focused on “lights out” or “dark” production. In such a setting, factories have near-total to full automation, with robots able to continue running overnight when humans are no longer there.

As manufacturing has become more and more automated, there are concerns about the roles traditionally taken on by people.

Wootzano, a robot-powered food packer in the northeast of England, is one example. The company is working to prepare and pack fruit with a lineup of robots that can operate with little to no supervision.

“Complete automation is what we all want to get towards, we want no human beings and the whole thing being run autonomously,” Atif Syed, CEO of Wootzano, told CNBC.

Still, the cost savings to this can be quite high, Syed said, noting that Wootzano, which packs fruit for distributors across the U.K., will eventually be able to operate with 80% fewer people than it currently does.

However, implementing a fully automated factory isn’t as straightforward as it seems. For one, robots don’t excel in creative thinking or problem-solving.

“If an error is happening, we don’t have enough data possibly to understand using machine learning techniques to then solve the problem,” Helge Wundermann, a professor of robotics at University College London, told CNBC.

“The creativity, the experience, the expertise of the human beings to troubleshoot some of the problems is essential.”

Will the future of manufacturing truly be “dark”? And if so, what are the challenges to building autonomous factories? Watch the video to learn more.

#CNBC #Factory #Robots
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Factories are heading for a ‘dark’ future — and it’s not what you think

China has invested heavily in Europe, particularly in the wake of the global financial crisis of 2008 when the region was strapped for cash.

This means that Chinese firms are now shareholders in many key European infrastructure projects. These include ports, wind and solar farms, telecommunications, airports - the list goes on.

But there are growing fears that Beijing could use its strategic investments to further its own political ambitions. A recent dispute between the Baltic nation of Lithuania and Beijing shed light on potential reactions from China.

It’s led European governments to step up their scrutiny of Chinese investments and attempt to figure out how to redesign their relationship with Beijing.

Dr Yu Jie from Chatham House told CNBC that we’re going to see more frictions regarding Chinese investment in Europe looking ahead.

Watch the video above to find out more.

#CNBC #China #Europe #Business

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China has invested heavily in Europe. Not everyone’s convinced it was a good idea

As many countries across the globe battle sky-high inflation, Switzerland’s economy is seeing something far less dramatic.

Inflation in Switzerland hit a 29-year high of 3.5% in 2022. While high by Swiss standards, that figure is well below the double-digit inflation of comparable economies including the United States (9.1%), United Kingdom (11.1%) and euro zone (10.6%).

On top of that, economists say it’s easing.

“It’s coming down a little bit,” Tobias Straumann, professor of modern and economic history at the University of Zurich, told CNBC.

So, what is it about the Swiss economy that’s allowed it to largely sidestep inflation, and what can other countries learn from it? Watch the video to find out. https://cnb.cx/41qXuXw

#CNBC #Inflation #Switzerland #Economy 

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CNBC International Transcript on Youtube

Factories are heading for a ‘dark’ future — and it’s not what you think

China has invested heavily in Europe. Not everyone’s convinced it was a good idea

Countries are struggling to contain inflation, but not Switzerland. Here's why