For years, automation has helped manufacturers improve productivity and efficiency inside factories. Today, a new question is emerging: can industrial production also be transformed at the scale required to build society’s largest and most complex assets?

That question is increasingly relevant for sectors such as maritime, energy, construction and defence-related industries, where production often remains labour-intensive, physically demanding and difficult to automate.

The answer may well shape Europe’s future industrial competitiveness.

The next generation of industrial competitiveness will depend not only on smarter factories, but on the ability to develop new production capabilities for increasingly complex and large-scale industrial projects.

Denmark has played a leading role in the evolution of automation through the development of collaborative robots and advanced manufacturing technologies. Now, the next chapter is beginning.

With the opening of the SDU Center for Large Structure Production (LSP) at Odense Port, researchers and companies now have access to one of the world’s largest facilities dedicated to developing and testing robotic solutions for large structure industrial production.

The facility enables multiple robots to operate in coordination on components that are significantly larger and more complex than those typically handled in conventional manufacturing environments. Potential applications range from ship sections and offshore wind components to energy infrastructure and large industrial modules.

As Christian Schlette, Professor at the University of Southern Denmark and Head of LSP, explains:

“Europe’s future competitiveness depends on our ability to automate not only small and repetitive tasks, but also the production of large, complex and mission-critical structures. At LSP, we are creating a platform where industry and research can work together to develop the technologies needed for the next generation of industrial production.”

The establishment of LSP reflects a broader strength within Denmark’s innovation ecosystem.

For decades, Denmark has invested in robotics, automation and advanced manufacturing. The result is a highly collaborative environment where universities, industry, public authorities and investors work closely together to bring new technologies from research to commercial into commercial use.

Located at Odense Port, LSP benefits from Denmark's triple-helix approach to innovation, where industrial infrastructure, world-class research, and public and private collaboration come together to accelerate technological development.

Together, these strengths create an attractive environment for developing, testing and scaling next-generation production technologies.