Arturo Baroncelli Elected As New IFR President

Joe Gemma the new Vice President

The IFR Executive Board elected Arturo Baroncelli, Comau Robotics, Italy, as the new IFR President last week in Seoul. At the General Assembly meeting Baroncelli thanked the former President, Dr. Shinsuke Sakakibara, Fanuc, for his dedicated work for the International Federation of Robotics during his two-year term of office. Sakakibara will retire from the IFR Executive Board and General Assembly but will still represent Fanuc within the Robot Suppliers Group.

Arturo Baroncelli stated: “The worldwide visibility of the robotics industry continued to increase remarkably during the presidency of Dr. Sakakibara. I want to continue this and I want to raise a positive image and understanding of robotics. Robots create Jobs! Robots increase the competiveness and productivity of manufacturing companies all over the world creating successful enterprises which raise employment. Robots are becoming easier to use and hence also help small and medium sized companies to improve their production processes.”

Joe Gemma, Staubli, USA, was elected as the IFR Vice President. He added: “Automation and robotics is the only way companies can truly compete on the world stage and at the same time have the flexibility to adapt to the dynamic manufacturing environment today and tomorrow.  The future is through embracing this technology and sharing the advances it represents. The IFR plays a critical role in spearheading this effort globally.”

Arturo Baroncelli has been in the robotics industry since 1985 and in Comau S.p.a. since 1988, where he is now Segment Manager Director in Comau Robotics.  He has covered several positions in Project Management, Proposal Engineering, Product Planning, Marketing & Sales, Strategic Planning and Business Development.

Baroncelli has been a member of the IFR Executive Board since 2008. Since 1998, he has been an Executive Board Member of SIRI, the Italian Robotics association. He was presented with the Joseph Engelberger Award in Tokyo in 2005.

Baroncelli has a Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Pisa and Scuola Superiore S. Anna. Additionally, he has a post degree diploma in “Program in Executive Development” at IMD, Lausanne, Switzerland. He has written 27 papers for various Conferences and Magazines and holds 2 patents in the field of press to press automation and robot laser welding.
 
Joe Gemma has been in the automation industry for over 25 years and at Staubli since 1997 where he is CEO of Staubli Corporation in Duncan, South Carolina since 2011. He has covered several positions in the Robotics Division of Staubli in USA and in France. Before 1997 he worked for US manufacturing companies Advanced Technology Systems, Crellin Technologies and Corner & Lada.

Gemma just started his activities in the IFR as a member of the IFR Executive Board. He has a degree in Business Management from the Rhode Island College. He has served on several committees with the Robotic Industries Association and is currently 2nd Vice Chair of the RIA Board of Directors.