Emerging robotic regions in the United States: insights for regional economic evolution

ABSTRACT

Despite widespread speculation about the potential economic impacts of robotic technology, there has been little academic research on the topic. One barrier to this research is lack of data about the robotics industry or robotics employment. In light of this problem, the authors conducted a robotics ‘census’ designed to describe and map the US robotics industry. Several key robotic regions are identified, although they vary in the nature of the robotics industries they host. In addition to reporting the results of the census, it is discussed how the relational and knowledge-spanning qualities of the robotics industry can be important concepts for understanding and facilitating technological change and economic development at the regional level.

KEYWORDS:

• robotics
• systems integration
• evolutionary economic geography
• relatedness
• analytical and synthetic knowledge
• path renewal

JEL:

• O30
• O33
• R11
• R12

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors gratefully acknowledge the valuable insights about the robotics industry provided by Dr Henrik Christensen, Professor of Computer Science, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California – San Diego, and Director, Institute for Contextual Robotics, and the expert opinion of Mr Alex Shikany, Robotics Industries of America Director of Market Analysis. The authors also thank three anonymous reviewers for their comments and suggestions.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

SUPPLEMENTAL DATA

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2016.1269158

ORCiD

Nancey Green Leigh http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5344-9536

Notes

1. The Japan-based multinational automation firm Omron acquired Adept in October 2015 (Omron, 2015).

2. Unfortunately, data relating to the year of establishment for robotic firms are unreliable (the distribution is highly bimodal, indicating a systematic reporting error), so it is not possible to assess changes in the geography of the robotics industry over time.

3. Swiss robot supplier ABB is a recent exception, announcing plans to open a production facility at its North American headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan (Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI MSA) (Phillips, 2015).

4. Collaborative robots generally perform light-duty tasks such as assembly or packaging in the same workspace as human labourers. This is in contrast to traditional industrial robots, which are usually physically separated from their human counterparts because of safety concerns (Shikany, 2014).

5. The relatively even ratios of the Detroit and Chicago regions should be interpreted carefully: because of significant foreign direct investment in these areas, some of the supplier presence may be in the form of regional sales offices. Despite efforts to limit the presence of these establishments, the database likely captures some sales activity. This potential ‘hidden’ focus on sales as opposed to research and development may inflate the supplier–integrator ratio in some regions, suggesting that it should not be taken as a direct proxy for a knowledge base.

6. These classifications follow the OECD (2011) manufacturing technology intensity definition based on R&D intensity.