n NEWS April 2026 www.drivesncontrols.com 10 ROCKWELL AUTOMATION HAS opened a customer experience centre in Bologna, Italy, to help machinebuilders and end-users from across the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) region to address the challenges facing them. The centre, the third of its type in the world (the others are in Milwaukee and Singapore), will support customers in sectors such as packaging, material handling, converting and heavy industries. The centre will offer hands-on experience of control, motion and mechatronics products, as well as advanced technologies such as AI, independent cart Italian technology centre will help OEMs to tackle challenges TERADYNE ROBOTICS, THE OWNER OF the Danish cobot specialist Universal Robots and the AMR manufacturer MiR, is accusing the German subsidiary of the Chinese robot-maker, Elite Robots, of infringing Universal Robots’ software copyright. Teradyne says it has “irrefutable evidence” of copyright infringement by Elite, and will be looking to the German justice system to protect its IP (intellectual property) rights. Teradyne Robotics previously sent a cease-and-desist letter to Elite Robots’ German affiliate, and has now referred the matter to the German courts. Teradyne stresses that wider interests are at stake and that, without strong enforcement of IP rights, Europe risks losing its ability to scale automation, maintain competitiveness, and safeguard high-standard manufacturing. As well as taking the legal action against Elite, Teradyne Robotics has also alerted safety authorities in Europe about safety concerns relating to Elite Robots’ robots. Teradyne says it has pioneered standards for robot safety and specialises in advanced robots which, subject to safety assessments, can work safely alongside people. In recent years, it adds, it has seen growing competition from robot companies which sometimes lack the same rigorous approach to safety. Teradyne Robotics Group president Jean-Pierre Hathout describes the legal action as a “decisive step” that “underscores our commitment to protecting IP and ensuring automation customers have access to safe and high-quality solutions. “Both automation and innovation are critical to Europe’s future,” he adds. “We will not allow the products of companies that unlawfully copy protected technologies to compromise customer experience, the intellectual property of our technology sector or Europe’s industrial future.” If Europe allows IP infringements to go unchecked, Teradyne argues, it effectively subsidises non-European competitors, while undermining its own innovators. It is calling on policymakers and industry leaders to ensure that Europe remains a secure environment for innovation. “Teradyne Robotics is choosing to take a stand against any competitors willing to copy proprietary hardware or software design to undercut on price,” Hathout says, “and we invite other leaders to join us in defending the integrity of our industry and strength of our economy.” systems and dynamic digital twins. It will also provide digital strategy planning and training services, as well as collaborative innovation, helping users to accelerate their digital transformation. “Manufacturers across EMEA are facing a perfect storm of technology, workforce and supply chain challenges,” says Paolo Butti, Rockwell’s regional president for global industry accounts. “The Bologna customer experience centre is our answer to these challenges – a place where OEMs can access the latest innovations, validate solutions in real-world scenarios, and empower their teams for the future. This centre will help our customers turn disruption into competitive advantages.” The opening of the Bologna centre comes at a critical time for machinebuilders. According to a recent Rockwell survey of 500 OEMs in 17 countries, manufacturers are facing unprecedented challenges: n Technology adoption gaps 29% of OEMs globally cite a lack of appropriate technology as being a barrier to achieving their strategic goals. n Workforce instability High employee turnover and skills shortages are among the top five challenges for OEMs, with many in the EMEA region reporting workforce issues. n Downtime costs Globally, unplanned downtime costs an average of $92,000 per hour, with the best OEMs recovering 40% faster from incidents by using advanced automation and digital technologies. Rockwell has published the results of the survey in its OEM Advantage Playbook. The new centre will help to address these issues, and includes three areas for customer engagement: n A leadership area This highlights remote access capabilities and live connections to manufacturing plants, supporting executive-level collaboration and strategic planning. n A technology and proof-ofconcept area This provides hands-on demos and machine testing, allowing OEMs and end-users to validate solutions before full-scale deployment. They can explore digital twins, virtual AMRs (autonomous mobile robots) and advanced mechatronics, accelerating innovation and reducing risk. n A competency area This will deliver technical training, product updates and workforce development programmes, helping customers to upskill their teams and to close the talent gap. Rockwell says that the centre offers an immersive, collaborative environment where manufacturers can overcome technology challenges and build workforce resilience. Rockwell says its experience centre will help machinebuilders and OEMs to overcome technology, workforce and supply chain challenges. Teradyne accuses Chinese robot-maker of infringing UR copyright
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