(ANSA) - BELGRADE, NOVEMBER 6 - After South Korea, with 710 units per 10,000 employees and Singapore (658 units), Germany (322 units) was the third country in the world with the highest density of installed industrial robots in the manufacturing industry in 2017, according to data from the latest "World Robotics Report", made recently public by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).

IFR data show that the robot density average was 85 in the entire world and 106 per 10,000 employees in Europe in 2017, with a higher percentage registered also in Austria (167 units), and in some countries in Central Europe, including Slovakia (151), Slovenia (144) and the Czech Republic (119). Japan recorded a robot density of 308, slightly lower than Germany, followed by Sweden (240), Denmark (230), the United States (200), Taiwan (197), Belgium (192) and Italy (190). China registered a robot density of 97 units per 10,000 employees, IFR said.

"The car industry plays a strong part" in the robotization process, the specialized portal Emerging Europe noted, adding that "Slovenia ranks 7th in the world when it comes to share of robots in the auto industry." Moreover, Slovenia is increasingly playing a role in the European robotics scene, with "all the major players in global robotics", including Fanuc, Yaskawa, ABB and Kuka, already "active on the Slovenian market, despite its relatively small size," Emerging Europe said, quoting Invest Slovenia. According to a recent study of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), "33% of all jobs in Slovakia are at high risk and so are 25% of the jobs in Slovenia" due to automation. (ANSA).