THE Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and Epson Precision Philippines Inc. (EPPI) have signed an agreement on the expansion of the latter’s manufacturing operations into industrial robotics at the Lima Technology Center-Special Economic Zone in Batangas.
PEZA said Wednesday the project will bring in more than P40 million in investments and create 118 jobs, with commercial operations scheduled to begin in March 2027.
The supplemental agreement was signed by PEZA Director General Tereso Panga and EPPI Chairman and President Yushi Irie.
Under the agreement, Epson will produce industrial robots, including Selective Compliance Articulated Robot Arm (Scara) and six-axis models.
Scara and six-axis robot models are used in manufacturing. Scara models (four-axis) excel at lightning-fast horizontal pick-and-place and vertical insertion tasks. Six-axis models mimic human arm flexibility to reach around obstacles and manipulate tools in any 3D direction.
The Japanese company will also manufacture component parts, sub-assemblies for knock-down production, spare parts and after-sales service parts.
“Epson has been part of the PEZA family since 1995, and today we welcome them into an entirely new chapter of reinventing itself and moving up the value chain — from precision printing to precision robotics,” Panga said.
He said the expansion reflects the type of investment PEZA wants to encourage among its locators as they move into higher-value manufacturing and become more competitive globally.
EPPI has operated within PEZA for 31 years, reflecting the company's long-term manufacturing presence in the Philippines.
PEZA said the expansion into robotics would further integrate the country into Epson's global robotics supply chain and strengthen its position in advanced manufacturing.
