More specifically, companies purchased 9,064 robot units, with a combined value of $580.7 million. That represented just a 0.4% increase in units ordered and a 15% rise in order value versus Q1 2024. The stronger growth of value versus unit sales indicates companies on average are deploying higher end machines.

Long time sector leader automative industry OEMs led the way again. with 3,668 units ordered valued at $263 million. That was 40.4% of all robot sales in the quarter.

That was a huge 42% increase in units and a 78% increase in revenue over Q1 2024.

A3 says the revenue growth reflects not only higher volume, but also a shift in the types of applications being automated this quarter, with a greater share of orders tied to higher-value systems. That means auto OEMs represented

By contrast, orders from automotive component suppliers declined 29% in units and 12% in value year-over-year, totaling 1,407 units and $88 million Ain value.

A3 adds that most non-automotive sectors experienced contraction relative to Q1 2024, with the exception of plastics and rubber, which saw 12% growth in units ordered and a 33% increase in order value. Sectors such as food and consumer goods, metals, and semiconductors experienced year-over-year declines.

The press release cited “broader economic uncertainty,” as the key factor in the lack of growth in the robotics market.

Collaborative Robot Orders Now Tracked in Official A3 Market Statistics

A3 part of the Q1 release, A3 announced that has begun reporting collaborative robot (cobot) statistics as part of its official quarterly data - the first industry-wide dataset of its kind in North America, it says. Cobots are robots designed to work alongside human beings.

 

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