19-05-2025
Dark factories: How automation robotics is powering global manufacturing
All of the advantages of dark factories
Above Digit is the world's first commercially deployed humanoid robot that is designed to work on the factory floor (Photo: Agility Robotics)
Dark factories offer significant advantages over traditional facilities. Most notably, they can run 24/7 without shifts or breaks, enabling uninterrupted production—even on weekends and holidays. With machines handling repetitive and hazardous tasks, worker safety is also greatly enhanced.
While the upfront investment in automation technology is considerable, dark factories reduce long-term costs. Robots don't require salaries or benefits—only routine maintenance. Their consistency, speed, and ability to scale production quickly makes them an attractive option for future-focused manufacturers.
Above The ANYmal by ANYbotics is a four-legged autonomous robot designed for industrial inspection (Photo: ANYbotics)
Dark factories can be located in areas that may be unsuitable or unsafe for human workers, offering greater flexibility in site selection and lowering the need for costly safety measures. They're also more sustainable: designed for energy efficiency, these facilities emit fewer greenhouse gases and often rely on renewable energy sources.
With repetitive tasks handled by machines, the human workforce shifts to high-value roles in innovation, quality control, research, and problem-solving—rethinking the nature of manufacturing work. Dark factories around the world
Above Industrial robots for palletizing food products like bread and toast at a bakery in Germany (Photo: Wikimedia Commons, KUKA AG)
The dark factory system has been deployed by leading companies in various industries. The factories have been built in several locations around the world. Siemens operates a dark factory for its electronic manufacturing division located in Amberg, Germany. The factory manufactures more than 1,200 different products and has a 99.99% quality rate. FANUC, which manufactures industrial robots and factory automation equipment, has a dark factory in Japan. The factory makes robotic arms that are produced in a fully automated facility which can operate independently for 30 days straight.
In the Netherlands, Philips operates a dark factory that makes electric razors. The factory uses robots manufactured by Adept Technology. In terms of robots to humans ratio, the 128 robots outnumber the nine human quality assurance workers in the factory. Before it moved the bulk of its manufacturing to factories in Asia, Adidas pioneered the use of automated sneaker manufacturing facilities called Speedfactories in Germany and the USA from 2016 until 2020. The Speedfactory used robots and artificial intelligence to automate the production of shoes using 3D printing technology that eliminated the need for manual gluing and stitching. China flips the switch on automated manufacturing
China has fully embraced the dark factory trend as part of its Made in China 2025 initiative, which aims to modernise its manufacturing sector through AI, robotics, and smart technologies.
Tech giants such as Foxconn and BYD have launched heavily automated plants, while Xiaomi opened a factory in Beijing capable of producing 60 smartphones per minute—completely without human intervention. The brand's SU7 electric vehicle is also assembled in a robotic facility, with its own self-driving system used to roll off the production line autonomously.
Above Xiaomi's SU7 electric vehicle is partially assembled by robots in its automated factory (Photo: Xiaomi)
The future is (not yet) dark
Despite their advantages, widespread adoption of dark factories faces significant hurdles. High costs, ethical concerns, environmental considerations, regulatory challenges, and fears over job displacement continue to slow the pace of global implementation.
For now, dark factories remain a specialised yet rapidly evolving segment of the manufacturing landscape—illuminating a future where machines do the heavy lifting, and human workers take on more strategic, creative roles.
