Drooid Logo
Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

EU warns as Midea-Kuka deal sparks robot decline

By Drooid · · How we work

1 1 Full Breakdown

1 of 1

Story summary
  • China’s Midea acquired Germany’s robot maker Kuka, prompting industrial alarm.
  • European regulators approved the Midea-Kuka deal a decade ago.
  • Robot installations in German factories are forecast to fall for a third straight year.
  • EU trade deficit with China hits €1 billion ($1.1 billion), a record, prompting Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s ‘tipping point’ warning.
  • China now operates almost half of the five million factory robots worldwide.