• Outlook 2021: Double digit growth

The World Robotics 2021 Industrial Robots report shows a record of 3 million industrial robots operating in factories around the world – an increase of 10%. Sales of new robots grew slightly at 0.5% despite the global pandemic, with 384,000 units shipped globally in 2020. This trend was dominated by the positive market developments in China, compensating the contractions of other markets. This is the third most successful year in history for the robotics industry, following 2018 and 2017.

“The economies in North America, Asia and Europe did not experience their Covid-19 low point at the same time,” says Milton Guerry, President of the International Federation of Robotics. “Order intake and production in the Chinese manufacturing industry began surging in the second quarter of 2020. The North American economy started to recover in the second half of 2020, and Europe followed suit a little later.”

“Global robot installations are expected to rebound strongly and grow by 13% to 435,000 units in 2021, thus exceeding the record level achieved in 2018,” reports Milton Guerry. “Installations in North America are expected to increase by 17% to almost 43,000 units. Installations in Europe are expected to grow by 8% to almost 73,000 units. Robot installations in Asia are expected to exceed the 300,000-unit mark and add 15% to the previous year’s result. Almost all Southeast Asian markets are expected to grow by double-digit rates in 2021.”

North America

The USA is the largest industrial robot user in the Americas, with a share of 79% of the region´s total installations. It is followed by Mexico with 9% and Canada with 7%.

New installations in the United States slowed down by 8% in 2020. While the automotive industry demanded substantially fewer robots in 2020 (10,494 units, -19%), installations in the electrical/electronics industry grew by 7% to 3,710 units. The operational stock in the United States increased by 6% CAGR since 2015.

Outlook

The “boom after crisis” is expected to fade slightly in 2022 on a global scale. The notable mark of 500,000 units installed per year worldwide is expected to be reached in 2024.

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New WORLD ROBOTICS 2021 - International Federation of Robotics reports: “Robot Sales Rise Again”