Supply: IFR
Investments in automation for the automobile trade in Europe stay excessive, based on the Worldwide Federation of Robotics, or IFR. The entire variety of industrial robots put in reached 23,000 in 2024, which is the second-best end in 5 years, stated the group at present.
“The European automotive sector is the area’s strongest buyer trade for robotics,” stated Takayuki Ito, president of the IFR. “Automobile makers are accounting for round a 3rd of annual manufacturing installations in Europe. When it comes to automation exercise, the mixed variety of 23,000 European robotic installations within the automobile sector was forward of the 19,200 models put in in North America in 2024.”
Final month, the IFR reported that U.S. automakers have additionally been investing extra in automation. It stated whole installations of industrial robots within the automotive trade elevated by 10.7%, reaching 13,700 models in 2024.
Nevertheless, whereas the U.S. is putting in extra robots, it isn’t producing most of them. Nearly all of these robots come from abroad. Globally, 70% of installations are produced by 4 international locations: Japan, China, Germany, and South Korea, the IFR stated.
Switzerland leads the way in which in Europe robotic density
At a world degree, Europe’s automobile manufacturing is very automated, the IFR stated. Six international locations on the continent had been among the many prime 10 on this planet’s robotic density rating for the automotive trade in 2023. Switzerland was in first place, with a ratio of three,876 robots to 10,000 manufacturing unit employees.
Slovenia was in third place with 1,762 models, Germany was in sixth at 1,492 models, and Austria was eighth with 1,412 models. Finland got here in ninth with 1,288 models, and the Benelux international locations had been in tenth place with 1,132 models.
Except for Switzerland, all of those automation champions had been EU member states. The EU27 international locations’ main position is clear not solely within the automotive trade, however throughout all sectors, accounting for round 85% of all regional installations in 2024. stated the IFR.
Germany, which is among the many prime 5 robotic markets on this planet, had a share of about 30% of the entire installations in Europe. Italy adopted with about 10%, and Spain with about 6%. From 2019 to 2024, the compound annual development price (CAGR) of robots put in in Europe was +3%.
China sees robust demand for automation in automotives
China’s nationwide robotics technique has led its manufacturing trade to put in a complete of about 280,000 models per 12 months between 2021 and 2023. In 10 years, the nation‘s international share of business robotic installations has risen from round one-fifth to greater than half of the world’s whole demand, the IFR stated.
As well as, robotics and automation are penetrating all ranges of Chinese language manufacturing. For instance, the nation has a excessive robotic density of 470 robots per 10,000 workers in manufacturing, the third highest on this planet, surpassing Germany and Japan in 2023.
China isn’t slowing down anytime quickly. In March 2025, its authorities introduced plans to speculate practically $137 billion in robotics, AI, and innovation over the following 20 years, based on the IFR. This initiative goals to proceed China’s technology-driven success in manufacturing.
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