Adidas Will Use Robots To Produce 500 Pairs Of Running Shoes Next Year.

At the beginning of next year, a German factory, which relies mainly on robots, will take the lead in producing 500 pairs of running shoes for Adidas, Reuters reported.

The company seeks to reduce labor costs and speed up product distribution.

Most of Adidas's production has moved from Europe to Asia, relying on about 1000000 workers from the foundries (mainly in China and Vietnam) to produce products.

However, the company now wants to turn production back to its nearest main market to cater for faster distribution of new market demand and to cope with rising labor costs and higher shipping costs in Asia.

The new "Speedfactory" factory is located near Ansbacher, Adidas headquarters in Bavaria. It will start producing a robot running shoes in the first half of 2016.

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The machine combines the vamp and the "Boost" sole made of polyurethane foam developed by BASF.

Adidas CEO Herbert Heiner (Herbert Hainer) said, "automation, decentralization and flexible manufacturing processes enable us to narrow the gap between the market and our consumers."

Nike is also investing heavily in new manufacturing methods.

But it has not yet decided when to launch more production in the United States.

Adidas plans to launch mass production in the near future, and will build a global network of similar factories.

However, it expects that those factories will supplement existing suppliers instead of replacing them.

The company is seeking sustained and rapid growth.

Adidas currently produces about 600 million pieces of shoes, clothing and accessories.

Its plan is to increase the figure by nearly half by 2020.

The assembly process of the new plant will still be manual, and about 10 people will be tested at the trial stage.

However, Adidas is striving for full automation.

Gerd Manz, director of technological innovation, said that Adidas's current sales of products come from 74% less than one year's products, and the proportion is growing. Gerd Mantz,

"Our consumers have higher requirements for products, and customization for markets and individuals will become the norm."

Adidas's goal also includes the development of machines that produce customized shoes.

In addition, the company is seeking to remove machine tools that need to be prepared for a long time from the manufacturing process.

It is already in use.

To create futuristic soles made of netted fibers.

In October, Adidas reached a cooperation agreement with Manz, a German engineering group. It will work hand in hand to develop a new automated production technology to carry out all digital research in all fields including design and manufacture.

Other partners of the company's Speedfactory project include Johnson Controls,