A sure bet The way forward Robotics Czech machine engineer Václav Mácha is in no doubt where the future lies: “We bought two FlexArc welding robots from ABB last April, and it’s the best decision we ever made,” he says, grinning. “We’ll certainly be buying quite a few more as we expand our operations. If we want to stay in business, robots are the way forward.” The signs are he’s right. As manager of European Data Project (EDP), a Czech-based manufacturer of high-tech slot gambling machines, Mácha is struggling to keep his 1,000-strong work- force up to strength these days. Like hordes of other light engineering companies that set up shop in the Czech Republic after democracy returned in1989, EDP thrived for a long time on the fact that wages were generally low. Now, however, w

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