Fewer Workers, Same Infrastructure
Nicolas Debock@ndebock
0.0%
since Oct 15
The idea
Falling birth rates in places like South Korea, Italy and China mean fewer workers ahead, but the power grids, water systems, buildings and factories built for much larger populations still need to run. I own the companies that let that happen with less labor: smart meters and building controls, design and inspection software, factory automation, and warehouse robots, split evenly between infrastructure upkeep and automation.
What it owns
- Factories facing worker shortages buy control systems and software that let them produce the same output with smaller staff. · Rockwell Automation, Inc.Factory controllers and automation software run production lines with fewer workers on the floor, the core strategy for manufacturers in aging countries., Emerson Electric Co.Automation for process plants like chemicals and water treatment puts a small control room team in charge of large facilities, replacing field staff., PTC Inc.Factory software for digital design, simulation and product tracking cuts the people needed to run plants; its value depends partly on whether the Schneider Electric deal completes., AMETEK, Inc.Precision instruments and motion parts inside automated equipment gain as factories replace people with machines that measure and adjust themselves.26%
- Building controls and infrastructure software let fewer people run and maintain more buildings, roads and bridges. · Johnson Controls International plcAutomated heating, cooling and building management systems let one operator handle many buildings remotely, stretching lean maintenance teams across more properties., Honeywell International Inc.Building and industrial automation software, including newer tools for running sites with fewer people on premise, keeps the company central to customers seeking leaner operations., Trimble Inc.GPS guidance, surveying and site software let smaller construction and maintenance crews do work that previously took much larger teams., Bentley Systems, IncorporatedInfrastructure design and inspection software lets fewer engineers look after more roads, bridges, rail and water systems by shifting to digital tools.24%
- Pipes and grids built for more people need meters and sensors that let small crews find leaks and faults remotely. · Xylem Inc.Pumps, sensors and software let small utility teams watch and manage entire water networks remotely instead of sending crews to every site., Itron, Inc.Smart meters eliminate the meter reader and let utilities manage grids from a control room, replacing labor-intensive manual reads with remote data collection., Badger Meter, Inc.Water meters that report over cellular networks eliminate the need for people walking meter routes, shifting reads to remote software and smaller crews., Teledyne Technologies IncorporatedCameras, sensors and imaging tools inspect aging bridges, pipes and plants without sending large human crews, shifting inspection work to automated systems.22%
- Robots, machine vision and warehouse automation directly replace the hands a shrinking workforce can't supply. · Symbotic Inc.Fully robotic warehouses run with a fraction of usual staff, the most direct replacement of workers with machines for moving goods., Teradyne, Inc.Collaborative robots from Universal Robots let small factories automate without large engineering teams, though the company's core chip testing business is separate., Zebra Technologies CorporationScanners, mobile computers and warehouse robots let fewer workers move more goods, stretching thin warehouse teams across larger operations., Cognex CorporationMachine vision, cameras and sorting software replace human eyes on production lines, letting machines inspect and sort parts instead of people.20%
- Cash8%