North American Robot Orders Increase 24.8% in Third Quarter of 2026

A3 data shows automotive component orders nearly doubling as semiconductors/electronics, life sciences and other manufacturing sectors post strong gains

ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--North American companies ordered 10,989 robots valued at $723.5 million in the third quarter of 2026, according to new data released by the Association for Advancing Automation (A3). Orders increased 24.8% in units and 26.1% in value compared to the third quarter of 2025, making it the strongest quarter of the year so far.

The third-quarter gains pushed total orders for the first nine months of 2026 to 28,984 robots valued at approximately $1.89 billion, representing increases of 9.6% in units and 13.3% in value over the same period last year.

Automotive OEM Returns to Growth as Orders Strengthen Across Industries

After declining during the first half of 2026, Automotive OEM robot orders returned to positive year-over-year growth in the third quarter, increasing 7.5%. Automotive Component orders climbed 90.4%, continuing the strong demand from suppliers seen earlier in the year.

Several other industries recorded substantial increases in robot orders during Q3:

• Semi & Electronics/Photonics: +97.6% units
• Plastics & Rubber: +67.7% units
• Life Sciences/Pharma/Biomed: +38.7% units
• Metals: +37.0% units

All Other Industries increased 0.5% in units ordered, while Food & Consumer Goods declined 23.7%.

The growth in the Semi & Electronics/Photonics segment comes against a backdrop of continued investment in U.S. semiconductor manufacturing and strong demand for electronics supporting AI and other applications. Life sciences has also seen continued investment in domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing among others.

Automotive Component orders have remained particularly strong despite earlier weakness among Automotive OEMs. While OEM orders improved in Q3, they remained 17% below their year-earlier level through the first nine months of 2026.

“What stands out in the third quarter is not simply the magnitude of the growth, but how broadly it was distributed across the market,” said Alex Shikany, Executive Vice President at A3. “Automotive OEM orders returned to positive growth, while Automotive Components and sectors such as semiconductors/electronics and life sciences posted significant gains. That broader mix is important because it points to a robotics market that is becoming increasingly diversified across industries and applications.”

Collaborative Robot Orders Increase 56%

Collaborative robots also posted a strong third quarter, with 1,831 units valued at $63.8 million ordered, an increase of approximately 56% in units compared to Q3 2025. Collaborative robots accounted for 16.7% of all robot units ordered during the quarter.

Through September, North American companies ordered 4,605 collaborative robots valued at approximately $178 million, representing 15.9% of total robot units and 9.4% of order value.

Collaborative robots continue to be used across a wide range of applications and industries. In the first nine months of 2026, cobots accounted for 43.8% of robot orders in LifeSciences/Pharma/Biomed and 36.9% in Semi & Electronics/Photonics.

Manufacturing Activity Remains in Expansion

The stronger robot order numbers come alongside improving manufacturing activity. The September ISM Manufacturing PMI registered 54.5, marking a ninth consecutive month of expansion, while Federal Reserve data showed manufacturing output increasing 0.3% in September.

Higher input costs, trade uncertainty and the timing of large manufacturing projects remain factors to watch. But with robot orders strengthening across several industries, the North American market enters the final quarter of 2026 with positive momentum.

Explore More A3 Market Intelligence

More detailed Q3 2026 market data and graphs are available upon request for press and through the A3 Vault for member companies.

A3 has also expanded its Market Intelligence resources with Business of Automation, a weekly show examining industry developments; Business of Automation on Substack, offering additional analysis and industry updates; SIGNAL, a free research series covering robotics, automation and AI. A3 members seeking deeper insights can subscribe to MI+ for forecasts, detailed datasets, dashboards and industry analysis.

About Association for Advancing Automation

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 1,500 manufacturers, component suppliers, system integrators, end users, academic institutions, research groups and consulting firms that drive automation forward worldwide.

A3 hosts a number of industry-leading events, including the International Robot Safety Conference (November 3-5, 2026, in Detroit), the A3 Business Forum (January 18-20, 2027, in Orlando, FL) and Automate (May 10-13, 2027, in Las Vegas, NV).