The global industrial robot market is expanding in size

Writer：admin Time：2025-09-15 13:59 Browse：℃

With the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation flourishing, new-generation digital technologies such as artificial intelligence and sensing are accelerating their integration with the robotics industry. This has spurred innovation in robotic technology, enhanced the performance of robots in existing application fields, and opened up new areas of application.

 

Li Xiaohua, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Chinese Modernization, told the reporter that early industrial robots primarily replaced heavy manual labor or performed tasks in harsh environments. For example, in industries such as automobile manufacturing, shipbuilding, and chemicals, they handled tasks like handling,loading and unloading,welding, and spray painting. In recent years, the application of industrial robots has expanded to high-precision scenarios in industries such as computers, communications, and consumer electronics.

 

According to experts, the global demand for industrial robots is mainly concentrated in countries with large-scale manufacturing and relatively high levels of automation. Currently, over 70% of the world's industrial robots are deployed in China, Japan, the United States, South Korea, and Germany. In 2022, these five markets accounted for 79.1% of global industrial robot sales. A report from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) showed that 553,000 new industrial robots were installed in factories worldwide in 2022, with Asia accounting for 73%, Europe for 15%, and the Americas for 10%.

 

In terms of industry structure, over half of the global demand for industrial robots comes from the automotive and electrical/electronics industries. Additionally, industrial robots are widely used in production lines in sectors such as food and pharmaceuticals, helping companies reduce costs and enhance competitiveness by improving production efficiency and accuracy. "Driven by advancements in digital technology, robot suppliers and system integrators are delivering new applications and improving the speed and quality of existing ones. Connected robots are transforming manufacturing, and robots will increasingly operate as part of connected digital ecosystems," the IFR report noted.

 

Huge Potential in the Chinese Market

 

China is the world's largest robotics market. Data shows that industrial robots are now used in 60 major categories and 168 sub-categories of China's national economy. For ten consecutive years, China has been the world's largest market for industrial robots. In 2022, China's output of industrial robots reached 443,000 units, a year-on-year increase of over 20%, accounting for more than 50% of global installations. According to IFR data, China installed approximately 290,000 industrial robots in 2022, a 5% increase from the previous year.

 

In recent years, globally renowned robotics companies such as ABB, Fanuc, and Yaskawa Electric have entered the Chinese market. In December 2022, ABB's robotic super factory was officially completed and put into operation in Shanghai's Pudong New Area. With an investment of $150 million and covering 67,000 square meters, it is ABB's largest robotics research, production, and application base worldwide. Sami Atiya, President of ABB's Robotics & Discrete Automation Business Area, stated that China is the world's fastest-growing robotics market with enormous potential for future development. The significant opportunities in the Chinese market are crucial for ABB.

 

Marina Bill, President of the International Federation of Robotics, said, "To serve this dynamic market in China, both domestic and international robot suppliers are establishing production facilities in China and continuously increasing their capacity." "In 2022, China's industrial robot market accounted for 52% of the global market. It is noteworthy that over the past decade, the number of industrial robots produced domestically in China has grown rapidly, with applications in almost half of the economic sectors," Chen Dan, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Machinery Industry Federation's Robotics Branch, told the reporter.

 

With the rapid development of China's industrial robotics industry, an increasing number of domestic industrial robotics companies are accelerating their expansion overseas. IFR data shows that China's exports of industrial robots reached a new high of 118,300 units in 2023. Popular exported robotic products are mainly used in industries such as home appliance manufacturing, automobile manufacturing, communications electronics, and logistics warehousing. Additionally, applications in the semiconductor and new energy industries are growing rapidly.

 

In the Japanese market, companies like Toyota Motor and Aisin are also users of Chinese industrial robots. Wang Yanqi, Sales Director of Jaka Japan, told the reporter that China possesses the world's largest, most comprehensive, and most complete manufacturing system. Chinese robotics companies have advantages in application scenarios and practical experience, laying a solid foundation for overseas cooperation. "Besides Japan, we are actively expanding into European and Southeast Asian markets."

 

Driving Global Manufacturing Transformation and Upgrading

 

According to the latest data from the IFR, global sales of industrial robots are expected to exceed 590,000 units in 2023. From 2023 to 2026, as companies increasingly leverage advanced robotics technology to optimize production processes, improve efficiency, and enhance product quality, the global industrial robot market is projected to achieve an average annual compound growth rate of 7%, with sales expected to rise to 718,000 units. The global robotics market will maintain a positive growth trend.

 

A report by the industrial consulting firm Rui Industry analysis suggests that as the global economy gradually recovers, labor costs in developed countries rise, and the ease of use and configuration efficiency of robots improve, countries will place greater emphasis on the robotics industry in the future. China's manufacturing sector has many industries and application scenarios yet to be developed, offering significant potential for increased robot penetration. China will continue to play a supportive role in global robotics growth. Therefore, the global industrial robot market presents a positive development outlook, further driving the transformation and upgrading of global manufacturing.

 

Deng Zhou, Director of the Industrial Development Research Office at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Industrial Economics, stated that industrial robots are important carriers and platforms for emerging technologies, as well as prerequisites and foundations for the application of new-generation digital technologies like artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and big data in manufacturing. Industrial robots excel in handling complex environments, performing stable and precise operations, working uninterrupted, and enabling information interconnectivity, offering immense prospects for future development.

 

In the face of new opportunities, many industrially advanced countries are scrambling to layout the industrial robotics industry, intensifying systematic planning and policy support. According to experts, while the United States continues to promote the widespread application and functional improvement of traditional industrial robots in large-scale manufacturing, it is also focusing on developing a new generation of human-integrated, highly intelligent robots adapted to new manufacturing models like personalization and flexibility. Japan is forming a complete industrial chain with close connections between upstream component suppliers and downstream customers, cooperation and symbiosis, and clear division of labor. Robotics plays a crucial role in promoting national economic growth and alleviating a series of social issues caused by aging. Germany boasts a robotics industry and talent echelon with world-leading technology. In recent years, emerging low-cost robots have injected new momentum into the German market, driving growth in robot installations.

 

At the beginning of this year, the International Federation of Robotics predicted that the five major trends in robotics for 2024 would include artificial intelligence, collaborative robots, mobile manipulators, digital twins, and humanoid robots. Marina Bill stated that robotics is a multidisciplinary field where converging technologies are creating intelligent solutions for a wide range of tasks. These advancements will continue to influence the integration of industrial and service robotics and the future of work.