The International Federation of Robotics' new "World Robotics 2020" industrial robot report shows that a record 270 ten thousand industrial robots are operating in factories around the world, an increase of 12%. IFR stated that sales of new robots remained at a high level, with 37.3 ten thousand units shipped globally in 2019. This represents a 12% decrease compared to 2018, but it remains the third-highest sales volume on record.

Milton Guerry (Milton Guerry), President of the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), stated: "The stock of industrial robots operating in factories worldwide is currently at a historically high level." "Driven by success stories in smart production and automation, this has grown by approximately 85% globally over five years (2014-2019). The recent 12% decline in sales reflects the difficult periods experienced by the two main customer industries: automotive and electrical/electronics."

He said: "Furthermore, the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic for the global economy cannot yet be fully assessed." "The remaining months of 2020 will depend on adaptation to the 'new normal.' Robot suppliers are adjusting to the demand for new applications and developed solutions. Significant stimulus from large-scale orders is unlikely this year. China may be an exception, as the coronavirus was first discovered in Wuhan, China, in 12 2019, and the country began recovering in the second quarter. Other economies report they are currently at a turning point. However, it will take several months for this to translate into automation projects and robot demand. Recovery will occur in 2021, but pre-crisis levels may not be reached until 2022 or 2023."

IFR stated that the Asian market continues to lead.

IFR indicated that Asia remains the strongest market for industrial robots. The organization stated that the operational stock in China, the largest adopting country in the region, grew by 21%, reaching approximately 78.3 ten thousand units in 2019. Japan ranked second with approximately 35.5 ten thousand units, an increase of 12%. The runner-up was India, with a new record of approximately 26,300 units, plus 15%. Within five years, the number of industrial robots operating in factories in India doubled.

In Asia, the share of newly installed robots accounts for about two-thirds of global supply. In China, sales of nearly 140,500 new robots were below the record levels of 2018 and 2017, but still double the sales volume of 5 years ago (2014: 57,000 units). Installation rates in Asia's top markets have slowed – in China (negative 9%) and Japan (negative 10%).

In China, 71% of the vast majority of new robots were shipped from foreign suppliers. Chinese manufacturers still primarily cater to the domestic market, where they are gaining increasing market share. Foreign suppliers delivered approximately 29% of units to the automotive industry, while Chinese suppliers delivered only about 12%. Consequently, foreign suppliers were more affected by the downturn in China's automotive industry than Chinese suppliers.

Uneven development of robotics technology in Europe

According to IFR, Europe reached an operational stock of 580,000 units in 2019, an increase of 7%. Germany remains the primary user, with an operational stock of approximately 221,500 units, which is about three times that of Italy (74,400 units), five times that of France (42,000 units), and ten times that of the United Kingdom (21,700 units).

Robot sales show varying conditions in the largest markets within the EU: Germany installed approximately 20,500 robots. This is lower than the record year of 2018 (negative 23%), but on par with 2014-2016. Sales rose in France (+ 15%), Italy (+ 13%) and the Netherlands (+ 8%).

The level of robotics technology in the United Kingdom remains low – the rate of new installations decreased by 16%. The 2,000 newly installed units in the UK are 10 times fewer than those shipped to Germany (20,500 units), 5 times fewer than those shipped to Italy (11,100 units), and three times fewer than those shipped to France (6,700 units).

IFR focuses on the Americas

The United States is the largest user of industrial robots in the Americas, setting a new operational record of approximately 293.200 units, an increase of 7%. Mexico ranks second with 40,300 units, an increase of 11%, followed by Canada with approximately 28,600 units – an increase of 2%.

Compared to the record year 2018, new installations in the United States decreased by 17% in 2019. Although sales volume was 33,300 units, it remains at a very high level, representing the second-highest result in history. Most robots in the United States are imported from Japan and Europe. Although there are few robot manufacturers in North America, there are many important robot system integrators. Mexico ranks second in North America with sales of nearly 4,600 units – a decrease of 20%. Sales in Canada increased by 1%, reaching a new record of approximately 3600 shipped units.

The largest operational stock in South America is located in Brazil, with nearly 15,300 units, plus 8%. With approximately 1,800 units installed, sales decreased by 17%, yet this remains the best result in history – surpassed only by the record shipments in 2018.

Niche market for collaborative robots

The adoption of human-robot collaboration is rising. IFR reported that collaborative robot installations increased by 11%. This dynamic sales performance contrasts sharply with the overall trend for traditional industrial robots in 2019.

As more suppliers offer collaborative robots and the range of applications expands, the market share of the 373,000 industrial robots installed in 2019 has reached 4.8%. Although this market is growing rapidly, it is still in its early stages.

Global outlook remains positive despite the pneumonia pandemic

IFR wrote that globally, COVID-19 had a significant impact on 2020 – but the pandemic also provided opportunities for modernization and digitalization of production to achieve recovery. In the long term, the benefits of increasing robot installations remain: rapid production and delivery of customized products at competitive prices are the main drivers.

IFR summarized that automation enables manufacturers to keep production in developed economies or shift it to other countries without sacrificing cost efficiency. The range of industrial robots is expanding – from traditional caged robots capable of handling all payloads quickly and precisely to new collaborative robots that can work safely with humans and are fully integrated into workstations.