The German robotics and automation sector is on track for another record year: the industry is forecasting a 13% increase in sales to €16.2 billion in 2023. In 2022, companies already recorded a 5% sales increase to €14.3 billion.
“The robotics and automation industry is on course for growth,” says Frank Konrad, Chairman of VDMA Robotics + Automation. “The previous turnover record of €15.1 billion from 2018 is likely to be significantly exceeded in 2023 with expected sales of €16.2 billion. Currently, the market situation is characterised by full order books. During the pandemic, suppliers built up large order backlogs, which are now being gradually worked off as bottlenecks in the supply chains ease. This means our industry is finally leaving the pandemic behind.”
The subsectors of robotics and automation developed positively in 2022:
- Machine vision grew by 11%, with industry sales reaching €3.4 billion
- Integrated Assembly Solutions recorded a 5% increase in sales to €7.4 billion
- Robotics sales rose by 1% to €3.5 billion
2023 forecast for the three subsectors:
- Machine vision forecasts an increase of 7% in 2023, corresponding to sales of €3.6 billion
- In Integrated Assembly Solutions, the industry expects sales to increase by 17% to €8.7 billion.
- In Robotics, growth of 12% to €3.9 billion is expected
China in the fast lane – robotics and automation on the rise worldwide
According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), around half a million industrial robots were installed worldwide in 2022 – about twice as many as seven years earlier. The international automation race is reflected in the robot density of national economies: with 322 units per 10,000 employees in the manufacturing industry, China already overtook the United States (274 units) in 2021. According to a current forecast by VDMA Robotics + Automation, China will surpass Germany in terms of robot density as early as 2023 and thus achieve a higher level of automation.
“With regard to the fierce global competition, there is no time to be complacent. We therefore welcome the initiative of Chancellor Olaf Scholz to strengthen robotics and automation in Germany,” says Frank Konrad.
Transformation drives demand
In the future, automation will play a key role in both the manufacturing and service sector in Germany. Today, the service sector generates close to 70% of GDP. Service robotics is urgently needed here to remain productive despite staff shortages. Lab automation provides a good example for the potential of robot application.
The demand for robotics and automation in manufacturing is also driven by strong transformation trends: for example, the automotive industry is currently developing new manufacturing technologies for electric cars.
The expansion of renewable energies for climate protection requires the cost-effective and highly automated mass production of green tech products such as fuel cells. Across all industries, the aim is to operate more sustainably, produce competitively in Europe and compensate for the shortage of skilled workers.
automatica 2023, June 27-30, 2023, Munich, Germany
“We expect an additional boost for our industry from automatica 2023,” says Konrad. The international trade fair for intelligent automation and robotics covers the entire value chain: from components to systems; from services to applications – for all manufacturing industries.
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