Robots not displacing workers yet

Singapore

HYPE is building up around robots again, with worries that their presence in the supply chain will make Asian workers redundant. However, John Calverley, head of global thematic research at Standard Chartered Bank, calls for some perspective. He said that robots are still limited in what they can do, and can be costly for smaller companies relative to flesh and blood workers.

"You've got Cambodia and Vietnam with cheaper wages than China. The trend towards low cost (manufacturing) is going to go on for some time," Mr Calverley, who is based in Canada, told The Business Times in a recent interview in Singapore.