40 Years of Robots and Automation

This year, Gibotech is celebrating its 40th anniversary. The company has grown from a small business selling CNC machines to one of Denmark’s leading automation companies, providing automation solutions to hospitals in both Denmark and around the world.

In Gibotech’s production hall, you can see setups of automation solutions that are scheduled for delivery to, among others, the New OUH and a major Danish industrial company. Trucks have just transported equipment from the company to Germany, where the installation of an automated goods receiving system is about to begin. And in both Sweden and Norway, the installation of automated sterilization centers is well underway.

The rest of the company is working hard to ensure the successful completion of the next projects. This includes everything from project sales to technical design, project management, and the procurement of materials and components—and everything in between.

From wood to robots

Gibotech still sells CNC machines, just as it did when the company was founded 40 years ago, and automation solutions for industrial companies also account for a significant portion of its order book. But it is particularly the automation solutions for hospitals that are the reason Gibotech remains a strong player in the automation industry today.

I don’t think Poul Fuglsang could have imagined that Gibotech would be where it is today when he founded the company 40 years ago. Back then, we sold exclusively CNC machines, primarily to the woodworking industry. We expanded that to include automation solutions for the entire industrial sector. In 2010, we gained a foothold in the hospital sector with our first automated sterilization center. And since then, things have really taken off.

Henrik Danevig-Anker, CEO of Gibotech

"Central Sterile Supply Department" is the key term

“Sterile supply center” is a term that comes up time and again during a typical workday at Gibotech. It is, in fact, the flagship product among the automation solutions that Gibotech develops, supplies, and installs for hospitals.

- The first automated central sterilization department we installed in Denmark was at Gentofte Hospital. It was the first of its kind in Denmark, and 10 years later, we opened our first automated central sterilization department in Germany. We have also added goods receiving and logistics to our automation portfolio, so we cover a wide range of processes where hospitals want to eliminate manual labor in favor of automation, says Henrik Danevig-Anker.

Praise for the employees

It goes without saying that when you’re developing and installing automation solutions for hospitals and industrial companies while also continuing to sell CNC machines, the number of employees will need to be adjusted on an ongoing basis.

In 2013, Gibotech had 23 employees. By 2024, that number had grown to over 180 employees. Each employee specializes in a specific field that contributes to the overall project. As a result, Gibotech possesses all the necessary expertise to develop automation solutions in-house—a strength that proves invaluable when pitching projects to new clients.

There is no doubt that a major reason for Gibotech’s success is our dedicated employees. They are experts in their respective fields, and we couldn’t do without any of them. They always bring a high level of commitment to our projects to ensure they meet our clients’ expectations. Both I and our clients greatly appreciate this.

Henrik Danevig-Anker, CEO of Gibotech

When you look at the timelines for the projects Gibotech is currently developing, many of them extend several years into the future.

So if this trend continues, Gibotech will have an even stronger position in the global automation industry in 10 years, when the company celebrates its 50th anniversary.