The Line megacityan ambitious urban development project in Saudi Arabia that we have told you about on several occasions, is facing a new controversy. According to recent reports, a significant investment in technology suggests that city construction could largely depend on robots and automated systems.
The project, which aims build a 170 kilometer long linear city in the deserthas attracted global attention both for its futuristic proposal and for the challenges associated with its realization, questioning its viability.
With promises that residents will be within a 5-minute walk of essential services and live in a completely car- and carbon-free environment, the megacity has a focus on sustainability, high-tech and innovation and promises to transform lives urban. But The project has raised many concerns.
Robots in the megacity The Line
In the midst of all the controversies that Neom has faced, the economic and technological mega-region that will host The Line project in Saudi Arabia, now the robots are coming.
Neom’s strategic investment arm, Neom Investment Fund (NIF), has reportedly made a significant investment in the European company GMT Roboticsbased in Copenhagen.
GMT Robotics carries more than 35 years manufacturing and selling machines to produce rebarthe rods used in concrete construction.
Considering that Neom currently consumes around 20% of the world’s steel supply, this It doesn’t seem like a crazy investment..
GMT Robotics itself announces the investment in a statement on their website. In it they say they are working to “develop advanced automation technology that can transform processes that use rebar in the construction of buildings on a global scale”.
“The partnership with NIF gives GMT Robotics the opportunity to set new standards for safety, productivity and optimized sustainability, and to accelerate from an innovative startup to becoming a global market leader,” they emphasize.
Likewise, Ulrich Deichmann, executive director of GMT Robotics, points out that the company shares “NIF’s ambitions to rethink processes in extensive construction” and that with the investment they will be able to “scale effectively and set a whole new industry standard”.
They indicate that with this operation and the “expected growth” that it entails will need to “expand the staff at the head office in Denmark with strong experts and specialists such as robot engineers, automation technicians, employees for operations management and C-level management.”
According to data provided by GMT Robotics, the value of the global construction robotics market was estimated at $168.2 million in 2022 and is expected to reach $774.6 million in 2032. That is: a growth of more than 360% in ten years.
Will robots on The Line lead to loss of human employment?
Yes ok More precise details have not yet been revealed about the type of robots that will be used or what their functions will be. in Neom projects, critics wonder if this decision could imply occupational risks, displacing thousands of human workersin addition to raising questions about the viability of the technology to carry out such a task efficiently and safely.
The use of robots in large construction projects has been a topic of debate on several occasions, especially due to the social and economic implications that it could have.
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