This paper analyses data on industrial robots in European manufacturing sectors. In particular, we focus on the applications and characteristics of industrial robots, their distribution over countries and sectors and the main factors that are correlated with robot adoption such as wage levels and robot prices. We argue that, contrary to popular belief, the types of robots widely used in manufacturing today do not imply a discontinuity in terms of automation and labour replacement possibilities. Instead, current robotic technology is better understood as the most recent iteration of industrial automation technologies that have existed for a very long time. These technologies arguably had their biggest impact generations ago, partially explaining changes in employment structures in agricultural and manufacturing sectors that go back to the Industrial Revolution. Thus, the potential employment effects of current robot technology are a priori limited.

本文分析了欧洲制造业中工业机器人的数据。特别是，我们关注于工业机器人的应用和特征，它们在国家和行业中的分布以及与机器人采用率相关的主要因素，例如工资水平和机器人价格。我们认为，与普遍的看法相反，当今在制造业中广泛使用的机器人的类型并不意味着在自动化和劳动力替代可能性方面的不连续性。取而代之的是，将当前的机器人技术更好地理解为已经存在很长时间的工业自动化技术的最新版本。这些技术可以说是几代人以来影响最大的，部分解释了可追溯至工业革命的农业和制造业部门就业结构的变化。因此，当前机器人技术的潜在就业影响是先验的限制。