IFR
Robotics: German industry in third place worldwide
In Germany, robot density in the manufacturing industry is in third place behind South Korea and Singapore, according to the latest results of the World Robotics Report by the International Federation of Robotics.
The results of the World Robotics Report 2023 show that Germany is one of the top automated economies in the world: with 415 industrial robots installed per 10,000 employees, the German economy ranks third behind South Korea with 1,012 units and Singapore with 730 units.
Marina Bill, President of the International Federation of Robotics, comments: "Robot density is an important indicator for measuring the current level of automation - it allows regions and countries to be compared with each other. The pace of automation is impressive: at 151 robots per 10,000 employees, the average robot density worldwide has reached an all-time high, more than doubling the result from six years ago."
Robot density by region
Asia has a robot density of 168 units per 10,000 employees in the manufacturing industry. Within the region, the economies of South Korea, Singapore, Japan, mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan are among the top 10 automated countries in the world.
The European Union has a robot density of 208 units per 10,000 employees, with Germany, Sweden and Switzerland among the international top 10.
The robot density in North America is 188 units per 10,000 employees. The United States is also one of the leading users of robots in the manufacturing industry in tenth place.
The top countries for the use of industrial robots
The Republic of Korea is the leader in the use of industrial robots. The Korean economy benefits from two major user industries - a strong electronics industry and a strong automotive industry.
Singapore follows in second place with 730 robots per 10,000 employees - but has a comparatively low number of employees in the manufacturing industry overall.
Germany (415 robots per 10,000 employees) is in third place worldwide. The robot density of Europe's largest economy has increased by an average of 5% per year since 2017.
Japan follows in fourth place (397 units). The robot density of the largest manufacturer of industrial robots has increased by an average of 7% per year (2017-2022).
China moved up to fifth place two years ago and can maintain this position in 2022. The country's massive investment in automation technology has led to a high robot density of 392 robots per 10,000 employees - despite a huge workforce of around 38 million in the manufacturing industry.
Robot density in the United States rose from 274 units in 2021 to 285 in 2022, making the country tenth in the world.
You might also be interested in
Great career opportunities for women in robotics
The IFR supports the career advancement of women in the robotics industry because, according to a World Bank forecast, the gross domestic product per capita would increase by almost 20 percent worldwide if the employment of women reached the same...
read more...A prototype in four days
The 'Smart Green Island Week' brought together 1,000 technology enthusiasts on Gran Canaria to promote sustainable digitalization and encourage young STEM talent. For one week, the capital Las Palmas was transformed into a laboratory for...
read more...Injection molding handling under time pressure
Robots are ideally suited to complex handling and production processes. In combination with modern vision systems, they can also carry out demanding assembly operations or quality checks in the system cycle. A visit on site.
read more...Avatar control tested between ISS and Earth
For the DLR's 'Surface Avatar' experiment, Swedish ESA astronaut Marcus Wandt controlled various robotic systems on Earth from the ISS. The experiment is intended to show how time delays affect the remote control of robots.
read more...Experiments with robots in the fashion industry
Instead of using automation to make existing processes more efficient, a group of researchers in Linz is trying to rethink these processes in a free and new way. Keyword: creative robotics.
read more...Electro-free soft robots from the 3D printer
Researchers at the University of Freiburg have developed 3D-printed pneumatic logic modules that enable logical switching of the air flow and thus imitate electrical control. They could be used to produce electro-free soft robots entirely using 3D...
read more...ABB acquires Sevensense
ABB has been working with the Swiss startup Sevensense since 2021 and has now acquired the startup. With this acquisition, ABB is continuing to pursue its vision of supporting people with AI-supported mobile robotics.
read more...Sales growth of 4% expected in 2024
The robotics and automation industry in Germany is forecasting a 4% increase in turnover for 2024. According to the latest figures from the VDMA Robotics + Automation Association, industry sales will therefore rise to 16.8 billion euros, setting a...
read more...The NAMUR 'Robotics' working group
The automation of complex and individual activities requires a strong interlocking of robotics, digitalization and artificial intelligence. What does this mean for system integrators and manufacturers in Europe when it comes to operating inspection...
read more...