Foxconn Building Robots to Solve China Labour Crisis

RightSite Asia reports:

Apple iPhone supplier and Taiwan electronics giant Foxconn moved a step closer to resolving its China labour woes recently by signing an MOU in Taiwan to start a "Robot Kingdom" to automate manufacturing.

The company had already announced in late July that it would be developing robots to do simple and routine work such as spraying, welding and assembling which are now mainly conducted by workers.

Foxconn currently has 10,000 robots and the number will be increased to 300,000 next year and 1 million in three years, according to its chairman, Terry Gou.

Foxconn, which has been plagued by a rash of worker suicides and other controversial labour issues, signed the agreement with the city of Taichung on October 29th, and Gou was on hand for the signing and to break ground for the first facility in the Robot Kingdom.

The robotics and automation facilities may generate some $4 billion in production value in the next three to five years and create about 2,000 jobs, Gou was quoted as saying.

Read more: http://rightsite.asia/en/article/foxconn-building-robots-solve-china-labour-crisis?utm_source=RightSite+Newsletter+Mailing+List&utm_campaign=0e0f8d7763-RS_EN_Newsletter_2011_11_0911_8_2011&utm_medium=email