With superior movement management, the UR8 Lengthy can conduct automotive high quality inspection. Supply: Common Robots
Teradyne Robotics A/S, the Odense, Denmark-based subsidiary of Teradyne Inc. and mum or dad firm of Common Robots (UR) and Cell Industrial Robots (MiR), is suing the German subsidiary of Elite Robots. Teradyne Robotics has accused the Chinese language collaborative robotic maker of infringing on UR’s proprietary software program.
Teradyne mentioned it has “irrefutable proof” of copyright infringement, although the specifics of Elite Robots’ alleged patent violations had been unclear at press time. The firm beforehand issued a cease-and-desist letter to Elite Robots’ German affiliate and has now escalated the matter to German courts.
Framing the lawsuit as greater than an ordinary mental property (IP) dispute, Teradyne Robotics known as on European policymakers and business leaders to take a stronger stance in opposition to IP violations. It warned that unchecked infringement successfully subsidizes non-European rivals on the expense of home innovators.
“This decisive step underscores our dedication to defending mental property and making certain automation prospects have entry to the protected and high-quality options they deserve,” mentioned Teradyne Robotics president Jean-Pierre Hathout. “Each automation and innovation are important to Europe’s future. We won’t permit the merchandise of firms that unlawfully copy protected applied sciences to compromise buyer expertise, the mental property of our expertise sector, or Europe’s industrial future.”
The lawsuit comes amid rising concern over Chinese language competitors in industrial robotics worldwide, hitting significantly laborious in Europe. Teradyne Robotics famous that 48% of European producers view robotics as probably the most transformative expertise by 2030.
In the meantime, the VDMA Robotics + Automation Affiliation, a German commerce group, just lately warned that Germany is dropping floor within the world robotics race, partly on account of low-cost competitors from Asia.
UR can also be going through elevated competitors from established industrial automation suppliers corresponding to ABB, FANUC, and KUKA, all of which have launched superior cobot choices.
Hathout added that Teradyne Robotics is “selecting to take a stand in opposition to any rivals keen to repeat proprietary {hardware} or software program design to undercut on worth.”
The corporate additionally alerted European security authorities about issues associated to Elite Robots’ cobot arms, citing rising competitors from producers that don’t apply the identical rigorous security requirements, which might erode client confidence in robotics.
Based in Shanghai in 2016, Elite Robots has expanded into Western markets with a line of force- and power-limited arms. It claimed to have greater than 10,000 deployments throughout greater than 35 nations and over 200 patents and IP belongings. The Robotic Report reached out to the firm for remark in regards to the lawsuit however had not heard again at press time.
UR leads Teradyne Robotics portfolio
Teradyne acquired UR in 2015 for $285 million and autonomous cell robotic (AMR) supplier MiR in 2018 for $272 million. UR has lengthy been a pacesetter in collaborative robotic arms, promoting greater than 100,000 items worldwide, however the firm is navigating a difficult interval.
After robust development through the COVID-19 pandemic, UR posted $311 million in income in 2021, up 41% from 2020. Development peaked at $326 million in 2022, then declined to $304 million in 2023 and $293 million in 2024.
UR’s monetary image turned murkier in 2025 when Teradyne started reporting robotics income on the phase degree in This autumn, with out separating UR and MiR. By the primary three quarters, UR generated $174 million, whereas MiR introduced in $45 million. Robotics income grew 19% from Q3 to This autumn, reaching $89 million, with most of that coming from UR. Based mostly on these figures, UR probably earned round $240 million to $250 million for 2025, a notable decline from $293 million in 2024.
Teradyne Robotics additionally diminished its workforce by roughly 25% by means of two rounds of layoffs in 2025. It additionally restructured its group, consolidating the customer-facing gross sales, advertising and marketing, and repair operations of UR and MiR beneath unified management.
Teradyne continues to spend money on robotics
Regardless of these challenges, Teradyne has proceed to spend money on its robotics group. A key instance is its deliberate U.S. Operations Hub in Wixom, Mich., a 67,000-sq.-ft. facility in Metro Detroit scheduled to open in 2026.
The hub will manufacture UR cobots and finally MiR AMRs, whereas serving as a regional coaching, service, and buyer expertise middle. The manufacturing facility can be Teradyne Robotics’ third main manufacturing website globally, alongside Denmark and China, and the firm mentioned it expects the location to create greater than 200 jobs.
“We’re investing at a time when others are cautious,” Hathout mentioned. “We imagine issues are going to get higher, and we’re going to be forward of the curve once they do.” The situation was chosen partly for proximity to main automotive and manufacturing prospects, and reportedly to assist a big, undisclosed e-commerce shopper, broadly believed to be Amazon, whose new Vulcan warehouse robotic incorporates a UR cobot arm.
Individually, Teradyne Robotics was the defendant in one other patent-infringement lawsuit filed by Sensor360, which alleged that Teradyne’s robots infringed a patent masking self-organizing sensor networks. That case was collectively dismissed on Feb. 24, 2026, with Sensor360’s claims dropped with prejudice, which means they can’t be refiled. Any settlement phrases weren’t disclosed.
The Robotic Report will proceed to comply with developments within the German courtroom system associated to the Elite Robots case.
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