Ramesh Kumar from Greater Noida
SoftBank Chief Executive Officer Masayoshi Son is no stranger to robotics or automation in warehousing. He part-owns Berkshire Grey, a pure-play robotics company offering fully integrated, artificial intelligence-based software and hardware solutions.
So, his 40 percent equity stake investment recently in AutoStore SA of Norway estimated 2.8 billion American dollars should not surprise anyone. Son has been hearing Berkshire Grey shouting from the rooftops that only 5% of warehouses are currently automated. The upside is huge. The Japanese venture capitalist does not want to miss out on such an opportunity.
Recently, South Korea's Coupang, part-owned by Son, got listed on the New York Stock Exchange. He also invested in Delhivery of India, one of the leading Ecom players. Therefore, when analysts predict that the market for warehouse automation will hit 48 billion dollars by 2023, he has no reason to disbelieve.
What is so great about AutoStore? It is a leading global robotics and software company. Its automated storage and retrieval systems, coupled with its proprietary software, provide customers with high throughput, enhanced configurability, and high levels of flexibility to serve the increasing demands of today's supply chains. AutoStore's innovative cubic design allows customers to either store four times the inventory in the same space or all of their existing inventory in 25% of the space.
AutoStore's solutions thus "redefine space," enabling it to serve a range of markets as diverse as e-commerce, grocery, industrial, and healthcare in any warehouse, retail location, or other facilities.
Founded in 1996, AutoStore invented and continues to be the pioneer of Cubic Storage Automation, the densest storage technology. It boasts of more than 600 installations and 20,000 robots across 35 countries.
AutoStore Chief Executive Karl Johan Lier hopes SoftBank investment will open up the Asia Pacific region for his wares. In Europe, AutoStore is a big hit already.
Ecommerce's biggest challenge is optimizing fulfillment center capabilities. So long as manual labor is deployed, this challenge is unlikely to vanish. Amazon, the world's ecom behemoth's latest troubles from the workforce in Alabama in the United States is an indicator.
Meanwhile, the World Economic Forum (WEF) gauges that by 2035, just 35% of working hours will be spent on manual routine positions that right now occupy 48% of work time. Moreover, the assembling, coordination, and retail areas will have the most elevated potential for mechanization by 2027, says the World Economic Forum.
AGVs are an introduction to the reception of undeniable AI-fueled innovations in any industry and as computerization makes progress, the AGV market request will stay consistent.
Bourses are lapping up the warehouse automation game. Daifuku of Japan saw its share price shoot up by 60%. Honeywell Automation India posted a 70% jump in its share price.
Analysts are predicting AutoStore, unlike other start-up gigs where SoftBank has invested, will post positive numbers in the shortest possible time. That will be sweet music for Son.
Also READ this...about Benetton's Italian toll road network sell off plans
No comments:
Post a Comment