BRUSSELS, Oct. 7(Xinhuanet)-- Companies of the European Union(EU) on Friday launched an initiative to boost research in robotics so that Europe would not lose its edge on the key sector to the United States, Japan and South Korea.

The aim of the European Robotics Platform(EUROP) is to maintain Europe's leadership in industrial robotics and expand it into the burgeoning service, security and space markets, says a new Website of the initiative.

Viviane Reding, EU commissioner for information society and media, asked EU member states to invest more in this field, which, she said,"is essential for the productivity and competitiveness of many manufacturing and service sectors in Europe."

"The(European) Commission has proposed a stronger financial basis for investing in research. However some member states seem reluctant to see Europe achieving the levels of investment that would put us alongside the other global leaders," said Reding at the launch of the platform in Brussels.

Robots are no longer seen as causes of massive blue-collar layoffs and unemployment, but rather"part of a revolution which moved us to a knowledge society with better, clearer and safer work and more efficient productive industry," said Reding.

She said robots have the potential to carry out intelligent tasks with people, and for the service of people, rather than replacing people.

Even industrial robots have a great potential. It is estimated that only 15 percent of possible applications are currently automated in Europe, she said.

Reding asked the companies to jointly develop a strategic research agenda as the first step.

The platform also looks to unite all the main industrial and academic robotics stake holders and public authorities, to develop and promote an educational program about robotics among citizens, to promote mechanisms to allow the transfer of R&D between industry and academia and to exploit synergies between civilian and defense sectors, says the Website. Enditem