Electrical contractors in Denmark have a significant potential for overcoming labour shortages and improving the working environment using robot technology and automation, a new study by HowToRobot finds.
As the country faces a growing shortage of skilled electricians, industry leaders are exploring a novel solution: automation and robotics.
To map out the industry’s automation potential, the trade union (Dansk El-Forbund) and employers’ association (TEKNIQ Arbejdsgiverne) commissioned an independent study by HowToRobot, a consultancy specialising in robotics and automation. The study reveals a promising potential for automation and robotics to address the pressing labour challenges facing the industry:
– By 2030, Denmark is projected to face a shortfall of 6,700 electricians.
– Implementing existing off-the-shelf automation technologies could address 14% of the expected electrician shortage by 2030, the study finds.
– With the development of new, fully automated solutions, up to 70% of the expected shortage could potentially be addressed.
“There is already a shortage of labour in the industry, and the green transition increases the need for electricians even further,” says Maria Schougaard Berntsen, Deputy Director at TEKNIQ Arbejdsgiverne. “This study shows that automation could be a key part of the solution.”
The skilled labour shortage is experienced across many industries, but electrical contractors are particularly hard hit. 37% of electrical contracting companies experience ‘production restrictions’ due to a lack of labour – far more than the 24% for the general industry according to Statistics Denmark (data from May 2024).
Electricians are also among the occupational groups in Denmark that companies have the hardest time recruiting. Just over a third of all advertised electrician positions end up with unsuccessful recruitment, according to the Danish Agency for Labor Market and Recruitment.
“This increased demand puts additional pressure on the current electricians in the industry to work more with the risk of getting worn out faster,” says Lars B. Sørensen, area manager at the union, Dansk El-Forbund.
The hope among the companies participating in the project has been that they could find ways to free electricians from the heaviest, most monotonous, and repetitive tasks – thereby addressing the labour shortage. This goal has been successfully achieved, according to Mikkel Viager, one of the robot engineers from HowToRobot, who observed and analysed more than 50 electrical installation and maintenance tasks as part of the project.
“We uncovered a wide range of existing, often semi-automatic, aids and solutions that can reduce the time electricians spend on many of their tasks,” Mikkel says. “It was far more significant than we had dared to hope.”
During the project, 13 specific electrical tasks across renovation, maintenance, and new construction were identified as suitable for automation and optimisation with new or existing technology. In particular, the study found great potential in automating processes such as cable pulling behind ceilings and walls, hole drilling for electrical installations, measuring and marking, and channel cutting for wiring.
“The analysis shows enormous potential. Automation can help ensure that a company can say yes to orders that they would otherwise have to decline due to staff shortages,” says Maria Schougaard Berntsen. “This debunks the myth that robots are taking jobs from people.”