The use of robots can increase productivity in SMEs, but may not boost exports
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Spanish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing sector that use robots are more productive, especially those that have fewer workers and are less innovative. However, automation alone does not translate into an increase in exports. Companies' presence in international markets is closely linked to the existence of localization economies in the region. This is the main conclusion of a pioneering study by researchers from the UOC's Faculty of Economics and Business. It is the first analysis of the impact that adopting these technologies has on SMEs, firms with a workforce of 10 to 200 employees, a sector that represents a large part of the Spanish business community.
"The smaller the firm, the greater the increase in productivity when robots are introduced. However, in firms with more workers, the increase is not so significant," said Carles Méndez, co-author of the study, published in the Journal of the Knowledge Economy, and a member of the Interdisciplinary Research Group on ICT (i2TIC-IA Lab), affiliated to the UOC-DIGIT centre.
In addition to the size of the company, the study also shows that another key factor is the degree of innovation in companies. "Although robots have a positive impact in all cases, in more innovative companies adopting this technology does not lead to such a major change," Méndez said.
An analysis of 5,000 manufacturing firms
The researchers analyzed information on nearly 5,000 manufacturing firms during the period from 1990 to 2016, from one of the most complete databases on industrial companies in Spain, compiled by the SEPI Foundation. They focused on SMEs, which generate two-thirds of added value and employ more than half of the active population in Spain.
"Camp de Tarragona and industrial companies have better quality jobs and are better paid. It has been shown to be a sector with a future, generating quality employment, compared to others such as tourism or services," said Joan Torrent, director of UOC-DIGIT.
In addition to productivity, the analysis also considered whether using robots boosted companies' export capacity. The UOC researchers found that introducing robots did not directly translate into more international business activity. For this to happen, according to the study, the region is a key factor.
"We found a significant positive relationship between the presence of firms in the same sector or related sectors in the province that we were analyzing and the export capacity of SMEs," said Méndez, who highlighted the fundamental role that a specialized environment plays in ensuring a flow of knowledge, workers and know-how within a region.
The digitalization of SMEs
Another study, also led by Torrent, published in the same journal and using information from the same database over the same period, widens the scope of analysis and evaluates the digital transformation of SMEs. In recent years, Spain, like many other European countries, has undergone a rapid digital transformation, with robotization and automation technologies driving productivity and efficiency, together with other digital technologies and tools.
Counterintuitively, the researchers concluded that implementing digital technologies does not automatically lead to a long-term increase in companies' productivity. They did observe, however, that these technologies play a fundamental role in selectively stimulating internationalization and productivity, especially in those companies that are more digitalized and are already particularly active in the import-export field.
"We wanted to focus on the digital transformation in a wider context," said Torrent, one of the coordinators of the i2TIC-IA Lab. "It is a common error to think that digitalization, in general, will produce homogeneous effects, when each technology brings its own benefits, because it involves different methodologies and techniques."
In this second study, the researchers confirmed the beneficial impact of robotic automation and highlighted the technological factors needed to obtain positive results: "We need well-trained personnel. Technological innovation is not enough; organizational structures need to be adapted to it. If the organization doesn't adapt, it's very difficult for technology alone to generate favorable results," said Torrent, arguing that it is necessary to "change organizations, make them more flexible, and break away from the rigid, bureaucratic and vertical structures typical of traditional industries."
The researchers also found that the use of networks and platforms strongly encourages collaboration between SMEs, and point out that, unlike countries in the Anglosphere, for example, businesses in Spain and Catalonia have historically been reluctant to collaborate. This is because SMEs tend to be family businesses with very vertical structures.
"We should start thinking how to really encourage businesses to collaborate. This is a weakness of the Spanish system that hinders its productivity and internationalization," Torrent concluded.
More information
Sebastiano Cattaruzzo et al, Robots, Firms, and Regions: Explaining Spanish Manufacturing Firms' Productivity and Exports, Journal of the Knowledge Economy (2026). DOI: 10.1007/s13132-026-03261-7
Joan Torrent-Sellens et al, Digital Transformation, Internationalization and Productivity in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Unravelling Effects from Spain, Journal of the Knowledge Economy (2026). DOI: 10.1007/s13132-026-03199-w
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