JAKA cobots are accompanying an increasingly informed market towards success

Giacomo Mariotti, Italy country director, tells us more about this approach and also announces a series of important developments

Having entered the Italian market in the mid-2023, Jaka Robotics has achieved significant results by focusing on the quality of commercial relationships and on a network of customers and partners that are not simply buyers and suppliers, but also part of a competent ecosystem, one that is capable of improving processes while fully benefitting from the advantages offered by collaborative robotics.

Let's take stock of 2024 with an eye on 2025.
“Over the past year we saw an increase in SMEs’ demand for automation, in a context in which important geopolitical events brought instability to the market, leading to a serious crisis in the automotive sector, a key market for robotics. In addition, there was tighter access to credit and the onset of industry 5.0 which was not fully understood by businesses. Despite these challenges, JAKA installed a large number of cobots in an increasingly ready market. This success was made possible thanks to the efforts of over 20 system integrators and certified service partners, for whom JAKA has created, a free academy in Nuremberg, where they can obtain integration and service certifications, enabling them to offer increasingly high-performance solutions.”

2025 has just begun, but there are already projects and new developments.
“I see excellent prospects for 2025, thanks to important organisational and portfolio developments. These include a payload capacity of up to 30 kg for cobots and a series of industrial  robots from 40 kg, to be launched shortly for the Asian market. Versatility is the key word.  
Programmability via tablet and web for connection to the cabinet, remote control and programming of the robot , are common features throughout. The wizard programming  simplifies the work of the operator and the integrator, making it possible to control any operation, from welding to palletisation, from the grippers to the telescopic columns.
Other new developments include: the wired teach pendant, upon customer request, for dead man control; the certified safety camera that creates a safe area according to the presence of the operators, replacing photoelectric barriers and laser scanners that make the robot reduce speed and sensibility; and the use of AI to enhance safety by recognizing misleading elements, such as headgear or unexpected volumes.
The roundup of new developments closes with the cobot with an integrated force-torque sensor, for processes such as sanding, deburring and tightening, thanks to internal force control.
JAKA invests heavily in the organisation of the company, starting with the new site in Nuremberg on Siemensstraße, near to strategic parterns with whom we have been collaborating on both native software integration and the commercial front. Intralogistics has also been moved closer to the European headquarters, further accelerating customer service, with deliveries within 10 working days.

JAKA has worked on the reliability of its logistics chain and after-sales services right from its entry into the European market; is there any news on this front?
“Logistics is certainly one of our strengths. We operate in a market in which the cobot offering is continually expanding, and where it’s important for JAKA to build a reputation for reactivity, efficiency and reliability. Thanks to the Nuremberg logistics centre, we can guarantee delivery of the entire EC-certified range, complete with user manuals translated into the destination languages,  within two weeks. This achievement will soon also be extended to user interfaces.
With regards to the service, our integrators and distributors can count on a dedicated always on WhatsApp channel, to exchange information and technical data with teams located in China and Europe offering access to video-conferences and live support. We also guarantee delivery times for spare parts between 24 and 48 hours, with evident benefits for both service and technical support.”

2025 is a year of big changes at the political-economic level: how do you think the market will evolve in the coming months?
“We can start by reflecting on Industry 5.0, which has seen an expenditure of 300 million so far out of the 6.3 billion allocated. The law is not clear; this is why we are thinking of going back to 4.0 and tax credit. The reliability of our technical and financial partners, together with these tools, sets out a positive future with installations of robots and cobots also in new emerging sectors. These, for example, include welding in all its specialisations — TIG, MIG, laser—including sanding and grinding: all in programmable wireless cells via tablet and web.
Agriculture is also turning to automation, especially in greenhouses. We are working with SST Robot and Idea Prototipi S.r.l to develop AMRs equipped with JAKA cobots and spectrometric industrial vision, which is useful for outdoor applications like weed recognition or fruit picking.
Another sector which we are looking at is education. In collaboration with EUREBO, the European e-learning platform, we offer a plug-and-play educational robotics kit ready for use in schools. The solution, previewed at Mecspe, includes cobots, holding devices, software and a series of games to facilitate learning.
JAKA is also commited to spreading awareness, introducing robotics outside the ordinary industrial settings. Cobots are now entering daily life or retail.   One example is the system gastronomy, which supports the human operator with cobots which manage the cooking and the filling of the sandwich with meat.
Emerging sectors also include food and beverage, tissue production, packaging and general manufacturing. The cobot market today is technically mature and users have a deeper understanding of the technology. The professionalism and skills of both customers and suppliers make it possible to integrate technology into day-to-day productivity with real advantages that were not so evident in the past. The dissemination of a culture associated with robotics and support services therefore plays an important role in creating increasingly solid market foundations for robot manufacturers.”

Services and training are consolidating automation, strengthening industrialisation and perhaps stimulating new industrial areas. How is the geography of manufacturing changing?
“The south of Italy is growing well, with areas of excellence like Sicily and, in particular, Catania, which has considerable know-how in automation and robotics; Naples is experiencing exponential growth, driven by aerospace, food and beverage sectors; then there’s Puglia, in particular, Bari. The developments in logistics, with new high-speed rail and airport connections, along with the presence of top universities, are making the south a more strategic and attractive hub, also form a logistics point of view.”

We have talked about markets and sectors; let’s now turn to enterprises and the services that JAKA offers to its customers.
“As JAKA sees it, SMEs should be supported in their transition to intelligent automation, offering them the services that they need, from technical training to subsidized financing, from spare parts to after-sales. To achieve this, our network of partners supports the customers at every stage of their journey, from product selection to tax credits, from certification to turnkey delivery.
Our philosophy is based on the principle that while a cobot may be easy for a specialist, it's not necessarily easy for everyone, as wrongly asserted in the past. This is why, starting with our internal know-how, we offer a series of pre- and post-sales services: demos, free classroom and online training, and offline programming packages even before the purchase. This flexibility is also made evident by the trial rentals we offer for periods that range from nine months to three years, after which the product is replaced with a more recent model.
The widespread presence of our partners across the territory allows us to support customers step by step, choosing the right team in a flexible manner, guided by the customer’s needs. Therefore, JAKA offers the best service, developing know-how and trust —the bases for the market of the future. The Italian market, in fact, is driven by value rather than price, with the key differentiator being service, not cost.”