AUTOMATION AND ROBOTICS
installations in the car sector was ahead of the 19,200 units installed in North America in 2024.”
“ At a global level, Europe’ s car manufacturing is highly automated. Six European countries were among the top ten in the world’ s robot density ranking for the automotive industry in 2023. Switzerland was in first place, with a ratio of 3,876 robots to 10,000 factory workers. Slovenia was in third place( 1,762 units), Germany in sixth( 1,492 units), Austria in eighth( 1,412 units), Finland in ninth( 1,288 units) and the Benelux countries were in tenth place with 1,132 units,” highlighted the IFR.
“ Apart from Switzerland, all these automation champions are EU member states. The EU27 countries’ leading role is evident not only in the automotive industry, but across all sectors accounting for around 85 % of all regional installations in 2024. Germany( which is one of the five major robot markets in the world) had a share of about 30 % of the total installations in Europe. Italy followed with about 10 % and Spain with about 6 %. From 2019 to 2024, the compound annual growth rate( CAGR) of robots installed in Europe was + 3 %,” it added.
Image: KUKA.
Cobot operations.
Six European countries were among the top ten in the world’ s robot density ranking for the automotive industry in 2023
Robots in the U. S. automotive industry
Automakers in the United States have also invested in more automation. Preliminary results published by the International Federation of Robotics confirm that total installations of industrial robots in the car
industry increased by 10.7 %, reaching 13,700 units in 2024.
“ The United States has one of the most automated car industries in the world. The ratio of robots to factory workers ranks fifth, tied with Japan and Germany and ahead of China,” said Takayuki Ito, IFR President.“ This is a great achievement of modernisation. However, in other key areas of manufacturing automation, the U. S. lags behind its competitors.”
“ The majority of industrial robots are imports from overseas, as there are few robot manufacturers producing in the United States. Globally, 70 % of installations are produced by four countries: Japan, China, Germany and South Korea. Within this group, Chinese manufacturers are the most dynamic, with production for their huge domestic market more than tripling in five years( 2019-2023). This puts them in second place after Japan. China’ s success is based on its national robotics strategy. Its manufacturing industry installed a total of about 280,000 units per year between 2021 and 2023, compared to a total of 34,300 installations in the United States in 2024,” explained the IFR.
“ In China, robotics and automation are penetrating all levels of production. This is evidenced by its high robot density of 470 robots per 10,000 employees in manufacturing( the third highest in the world, surpassing Germany and Japan in 2023). The United States, on the other hand, ranks tenth among the world’ s most automated manufacturing countries with a robot density of 295 robots per 10,000 employees. The country’ s automation is heavily concentrated in the car sector. Around 40 % of all new industrial robot installations in 2024 are in automotive. This is followed by the metal and machinery industry with 3,800 units, representing a market share of 11 %. Installations in the U. S. electrical and electronics industry registered a market share of 9 %, with 2,900 units sold,” concluded the IFR.
ISR Asia
The International Federation of Robotics( IFR) was established as a non-profit organisation in 1987. Its institutional members come from the robotics industry, national or international industry associations and research & development institutes. Its federation directly represents over 90 members from more than 20 countries. Its vision is for robotics“ to address societal challenges and create a better life for all.”
The IFR also sponsors the International Symposium on Robotics( ISR). ISR Asia will take place from 5-6 November 2025( colocated with RobotWorld in Goyang, Korea). n
https:// ifr. org /
26 | ismr. net | ISMR September 2025