Robotics industry in the crisis: decline in sales and dark views

Robotics industry in the crisis: decline in sales and dark views

The German robotics and automation industry is in a challenging year before a decline in sales from 10 % to 14.5 billion euros, as the VDMA Robotik + Automation Association predicts. The chairman Dietmar Ley explains that the growth prospects in all partial sectors cloud and that the competitiveness of German providers suffers compared to Asian competitors. This situation is further exacerbated by unclear customs heights, which unsettles customers and complicates more precise planning.

A particularly severely affected area is that of the assembly systems. The turnover for 2023 is estimated at 7.7 billion euros, which corresponds to a decrease of 15 %. Ley predicted no rapid upswing for the assembly system area and does not see any growth forecast for 2024.

stable segments and upcoming expectations

In the area of ​​image processing, however, stable sales of 3.1 % are expected, and there are positive growth prospects for the coming year. For the robotics itself, a drop in sales is forecast from 5 % to 3.7 billion euros in 2025. Current predictions for the robotics industry in 2026 have not yet been available.

A positive turn could bring the Messe Automatica, which will take place in Munich in three weeks. This event is expected to attract around 40,000 trade visitors and 780 exhibitors and could provide new impulses for the industry.

market development and growth forecast

A comprehensive analysis of the robotics market shows that in 2025 sales of around 4.48 billion euros are expected. Service robotics in particular are dominated with a forecast volume of 3.72 billion euros. The annual growth rate for the period from 2025 to 2029 is estimated at 7.83 %, which could lead to a market volume of 6.05 billion euros in 2029

The robotics include design, development, manufacture and use of robotics systems and technologies. A particularly rapidly growing segment is the demand for automation solutions, especially in production, healthcare and logistics. This happens against the background of an aging population and a growing shortage of skilled workers.

The market changes are also technological progress and political framework conditions. In Germany, the robotics market is supported by a strong manufacturing and engineering tradition, which leads to an increased demand for innovative solutions. The trend also shows an increase in collaboratory robots (cobots) that work with people, as well as robots with advanced skills such as artificial intelligence and vision systems.