“In terms of robots they’ve been around for a long time, but we think the whole market is changing. They’re going from being devices that we use predominantly in manufacturing or repetitive processes, to being combined with more and more intelligence to become useful in many different ways. A lot of that intelligence is being driven by state-of-the-art semi-conductors and software.”
Richard Lightbound, partner and chief executive at Robo Global, says the influence of robotics and automation extends beyond the industrial and manufacturing sectors.
“The most significant growth is expected from personal and services sectors, with 17.4 per cent and 12.3 per cent compound annual growth rates predicted between 2010 and 2025, according to Boston Consulting Group. Robotics, automation and artificial intelligence have started to penetrate every aspect of our daily lives including work, home, entertainment, security and healthcare.”
But Mr Gleeson points out that while there is good secular growth within the industry, “we have to bear in mind that cyclicality doesn’t go away completely. From an investment perspective, the narrower the universe of investments the more risk you take on board. So while [robotics] is a market we’re participating in, we still have the broader diversification, giving investors exposure to a variety of markets.”
Nyree Stewart is features editor at Investment Adviser
