Record sales on a global scale
In 2017, global sales industrial robots reached a new record - 387 thousand units, which represents an increase of 31 percent compared to 2016 (294.3 thousand units). This is not only confirmation of a sustained growth trend, but also a signal for the industry that automation is becoming the standard, not the exception. This growth concerned all major regions of the world - from Europe to North America and Asia. A significant factor was the growing demand for flexible production systems that can quickly adapt to changing market needs.
The increase in sales is not uniform - differences between regions are significant. In China, where the market industrial robots is the largest in the world, an increase of 58 percent was recorded. This indicates an intensification of investments in automation in rapidly developing countries. In Germany, sales increased by 8%, and in the USA - by 6%. These data show that even in advanced economies, investments in industrial robots are steadily increasing.
Asia dominates, but growth is global
In 2017, Asia was the most important market for industrial robots - including China, which installed approximately 138 thousand units. Second place was taken by Japan (approx. 46 thousand), and third - South Korea (approx. 40 thousand). This means that a significant part of global industrial robot sales fell on Asia. However, the growth is not limited to this region. In North America, the USA was the largest market - with approximately 33 thousand units sold, and in Europe, Germany was the leader (approx. 22 thousand). This shows that automation is a global trend, not just a local phenomenon in high-income countries.
The increase in sales is also not uniform in terms of industry. The largest increase was recorded in the metal industry, as well as in electronics and food. This suggests that robots are no longer just an element of car production, but are increasingly used in industries with complex processes requiring precision and speed. This growth is strongly related to the need to reduce costs, improve quality and adapt to changing orders.
Does this mean mass automation?
Sales growth industrial robots does not necessarily mean that all factories already have them. IFR data only shows the number of units sold - it does not indicate how many of them have actually been implemented in production. Many robots may be used for demonstrations, tests or pilots, and not for continuous operation. Therefore, it is necessary to distinguish between sales and actual implementation. There is no evidence that all installed robots are already actively used in production - which means that the increase in sales does not necessarily translate into a simultaneous increase in production efficiency.
In addition, the growing popularity of collaborative robots (cobots) and simple programmable systems suggests that automation is becoming more accessible to small and medium-sized enterprises. This may lead to an expansion of the market beyond traditional industrial sectors. However, the lack of data on specific implementations or economic effects does not allow us to definitively state whether this increase in sales translates into a real increase in automation.
Future: digitization and human-robot collaboration
According to IFR Chairman Junji Tsuda, key trends in the future include digitization, simplified robot operation and human-machine collaboration without protective barriers. Digitization allows for the integration of production data with analysis and machine learning systems - which can lead to self-optimization of processes. However, this is not yet a reality for most companies.
Simplifying robot programming, e.g. through intuitive interfaces or voice commands, may open up the market for companies without specialized IT resources. This could accelerate the implementation of automation even in small plants. However, the lack of data on specific systems that have already been implemented makes it impossible to assess the effectiveness of these solutions. Therefore, forecasts regarding the future of robotics should be treated as development directions, not confirmed facts.
