Collaborative Robot Technology Adoption in Australian Manufacturing SMEs

Abstract

Collaborative robots (cobots) represent an emerging category of technological innovation that is transforming the industrial landscape by revolutionising the interaction between machines and humans. Cobots are lightweight, cost-effective and flexible industrial solutions that have become increasingly suited to the growing shift toward mass customisation in modern manufacturing environments. Despite their potential and promise, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), adoption among SMEs remains relatively limited, with several challenges related to their adoption still unexplored. Driven by 1) the strategic importance of advanced technologies for developing manufacturing SMEs in Australia, and 2) the limited research on cobot adoption in this context, the present study aims to develop the Holistic Collaborative Robot Adop- tion Model (HCRAM) for Australian manufacturing SMEs. Guided by the design science approach, this thesis makes the following contributions: 1) it develops a conceptual framework grounded in both empirical and theoretical research on cobot adoption in the manufacturing sector; 2) it presents findings from the analysis and refinement of the conceptual framework based on perspectives from senior and mid-level managerial and technical specialists; and 3) it demonstrates the evaluation outcomes of the framework in manufacturing SMEs, drawing on data gathered from a large sample using the questionnaire instrument. The HCRAM, developed in this thesis, is, to the best of the researcher’s knowledge, the first to address this issue in the context of Australian manufacturing SMEs. It encompasses five key contexts relevant to cobot adoption: environment, human, technology, organisation, and barriers. The findings show that 11 of the 15 factors demonstrated a statistically significant association with cobot adoption, thereby supporting the validity of the findings. As a result, HCRAM can be used as a practical tool for industrial decision-makers to formulate adoption strategies for cobots in Australian manufacturing SMEs. It is supported by an online questionnaire tool designed to identify both enablers and barriers to adoption across a wide range of Australian manufacturing SMEs. It further establishes a basis for future work on cobot adoption within manufacturing SMEs and related contexts. Although this thesis employs a rigorous approach, there are several limitations relating to data collection, sampling methods, and geographic context. Therefore, future research could adopt different methodologies to further validate HCRAM and explore its applicability across various industries and national contexts.