Thanks to faster computation and higher storage capabilities, intelligent autonomous robots aren’t science fiction anymore. They are already at work within industry today. In the future, up to 60 percent of our jobs are expected to be automated. How will this development transform manufacturing and the maintenance of machinery in the future? Gothenburg, Sweden, 21 June 2016: SKF is sparking conversation and spreading ideas with a new series of a knowledge-sharing symposium called “Let’s Talk”. Industry experts are discussing industry trends such as Digitalization, Industry Ecology and Counterfeiting in front of a live audience at leading universities. The latest “Let’s Talk” event focuses on Smart Robotics and how it will affect the factory of the future. Speakers are Danica Kragic, Professor for Computer Science, Royal Institute of Technology, KTH; Daniel Wäppling, Head of Product Architecture, ABB Robotics and Roberto Napione, Head of Machine Centre of Excellence, SKF. “Pushing innovation with smart robots, which are able to assemble bearings in different sequences will improve the industry’s operational efficiency and reduce maintenance times, says Roberto Napione, SKF. “However, the robot itself will not be enough. It needs to be integrated into a smart, Big Data environment within the factory. In this regard, smart robots will not necessarily reduce jobs, but rather transform them. In the future, we will see factories with people who are collaborating with robots, building environments, conditions and software between them. The recorded symposiums are available on SKF’s YouTube channel. Further information can also be found on our website: www.skf.com or by following the hashtag #LetsTalkSmartRobotics across Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram. More “Let’s Talk” videos will be published in the upcoming months. Aktiebolaget SKF (publ) For further information, please contact: Press Relations: Sabine Hergenröder, +46 31 337 6418, +46 705 77 6418; sabine.hergenroder@skf.com SKF is a leading global supplier of bearings, seals, mechatronics, lubrication systems, and services which include technical support, maintenance and reliability services, engineering consulting and training. SKF is represented in more than 130 countries and has around 17,000 distributor locations worldwide. Annual sales in 2015 were SEK 75 997 million and the number of employees was 46 635. www.skf.com ® SKF is a registered trademark of the SKF Group.