Schneider Electric's $700M US expansion includes new robotics center in Raleigh

French industrial conglomerate Schneider Electric, which makes energy management and automation components, plans to invest more than $700 million in its U.S. operations by 2027 — a plan that includes a new robotics center in Raleigh.

The move, announced Tuesday, is one of the company’s largest capital expenditures in its 135-year history in the United States. It comes as energy demands surge amid rapid growth in advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, data infrastructure and more.

The expansion is expected to create more than 1,000 jobs across the country, with new roles for engineers, developers, and advanced manufacturing workers, the company said. Schneider Electric also aims to expand its veteran hiring pipeline as part of the initiative. The company didn’t immediately say how many of those jobs would be in North Carolina.

“We stand at an inflection point for the technology and industrial sectors in the U.S., driven by incredible AI growth and unprecedented energy demand,” Aamir Paul, president of North America operations for Schneider Electric, said in a statement. “To lead the transformation ahead, we must be agile and act now to advance ambitious digitalization and efficiency goals to make an impact for generations to come.”

The company has invested $440 million in its U.S. operations since 2020. With this new commitment, its total investment this decade will surpass $1 billion.

In Raleigh, the company’s Robotics & Motion Center is expected to focus on AI-enhanced motion and robotics products aimed at making manufacturers more efficient. The company also plans to modernize existing space for production of switchgear and power distribution products in Welcome, North Carolina. They’re among several projects nationwide for the company, including manufacturing expansions in Tennessee, Missouri, Ohio and Texas, and a new innovation lab for AI-driven power systems in Massachusetts.

Schneider Electric also unveiled a new AI-enabled software platform to help utilities modernize the power grid and adapt to growing demand.

“America’s electrical system will face unprecedented rising energy demand in the coming decade driven by data centers and AI,” Debra Phillips, chief executive of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, said in a statement.

In recent months, North Carolina has capitalized on that growth, luring several companies focused on modernizing and expanding the power grid.

Last month, Pennsylvania Transformer Technology — a maker of power and distribution transformers — announced plans for a $102.5 million expansion in Raeford, a project that is expected to bring 217 new jobs to the Hoke County city.

In December, MetOx — a maker of efficient power transmission cables — said it plans to create 333 jobs and invest about $194 million in Chatham County as part of a long-range plan to provide more efficient power for data centers, medical diagnostics and more.

Last year, Siemens Energy announced plans to add 559 jobs and invest almost $150 million in North Carolina over the next several years — an expansion that would establish in Mecklenburg County the company’s first U.S. manufacturing site for large power transformers. The company also announced plans to expand its existing grid technology engineering operations in Wake County.

And in 2021, energy-grid technology company Smart Wires Inc. announced plans to move its headquarters from California to Durham.