Robot Orders Grow 6.6% in 2025 as General Industries Drive Broader Automation Adoption

New A3 data highlights non-automotive sector gains, a strong Q4 finish, and nearly 20% share for collaborative robots

ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--North American robot orders rose in 2025, reflecting strong investment in automation across a growing range of industries. According to new data from the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), companies across the region ordered 36,766 robots valued at $2.25 billion last year. Compared to 2024, this represents a 6.6% increase in units ordered and a 10.1% increase in revenue¹.

General Industry Drives Market Gains in 2025

Robot demand from non-automotive customers outpaced demand from their automotive industry counterparts in 2025, with general industries capturing the majority share of units ordered throughout the year. Industries such as food and consumer goods, semiconductors and electronics, and life sciences all contributed to this broad-based momentum. While automotive component orders remained below 2024 levels, activity from automotive OEMs showed meaningful improvement. This uptick from major vehicle manufacturers may signal stabilization in core automotive markets heading into 2026.

Strong Finish to the Year in Q4

In the fourth quarter of 2025, companies ordered 10,325 robots valued at $579 million. These figures represent a 6.6% increase in units and an 8.7% rise in revenue compared to Q4 2024, using adjusted comparisons from matched reporting companies. This marks the sixth consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth and lifted annual totals to their highest level since 2022.

Collaborative Robots Accelerate in Q4, End Year at Nearly 20% Share

Collaborative robots continued their upward trajectory, accounting for 28.6% of all robots ordered in Q4 2025 and 14.7% of quarterly revenue. This represents 2,953 units valued at $85 million, the highest quarterly volume recorded since A3 began reporting collaborative robot as a distinct category in Q1 2025.

Across the full year, collaborative robot orders totaled 7,212 units valued at $241 million. This represents 19.6% of total robots ordered in 2025 and 10.7% of total revenue, underscoring the growing importance of collaborative systems as part of modern automation strategies.

Automation Momentum Expected to Continue into 2026

“The rebound in robot orders over the course of 2025 reflects renewed confidence in automation as a long-term solution to competitive pressures,” said Alex Shikany, Executive Vice President at A3. “We’re seeing increasing adoption across sectors, especially in general industry applications and at automotive OEMs, as manufacturers look to automation to address workforce shortages, manage reshoring initiatives, and boost productivity.”

Shikany also pointed to the significance of Q4 trends. “Automotive OEMs came back strong in the second half of the year, which often serves as a leading indicator for growth in supplier and component markets. Combined with steady demand across food, electronics, and other non-automotive industries, this points to a positive outlook for 2026.”

More detailed market breakouts and graphs for Q4 and full-year 2025 are available upon request for press and within the A3 Vault for member companies. For deeper insights, A3 members can subscribe to MI+, the Association’s premium market intelligence platform, featuring forecasts, dashboards, and in-depth reporting to support better decision-making.

Explore the Future of Automation at Automate 2026

Discover the latest in robotics, vision, AI, motion control, and more at Automate 2026, North America’s largest automation showcase, taking place June 22–25 in Chicago. This year’s show will be bigger than ever, with A3’s popular Humanoid Robot Forum co-located with Automate (June 23-24) and a dedicated Humanoid Robot Pavilion sponsored by NVIDIA premiering on the Automate show floor.

Registration for both events is now open at www.automate.org.

About Association for Advancing Automation (A3)

The Association for Advancing Automation (A3) is the leading global advocate for the benefits of automating. A3 promotes automation technologies and ideas that transform the way business is done. Members of A3 represent more than 1,450 manufacturers, component suppliers, system integrators, end users, academic institutions, research groups and consulting firms that drive automation forward worldwide.

¹ Based on year-over-year comparisons using a consistent reporting cohort