"The manufacturing sector in the US is one of the most advanced in the world," says Marina Bill, President of the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). "Our IFR outlook with the first preliminary results for 2023 again shows strong demand for robots in all major segments of US manufacturing."

US automotive industry

Sales in the automotive industry rose to a record 14,678 installed robots in 2023 - an increase of 1%. The segment was already experiencing strong growth in the previous year, with installations jumping by 47% to 14,472 units in 2022. Automotive and component manufacturers will have a market share of 33% of installed industrial robots in 2023. In an international comparison, the production volume of cars and light vehicles in the USA ranks second in the world behind China.

"Car manufacturers are currently investing more in robotics in order to switch to the production of electric vehicles and to compensate for a shortage of labor," says Marina Bill.

US electrical and electronics industry

Installations in the electrical and electronics industry increased by 37% to 5,120 units in 2023. The latest result corresponds to a market share of 12% of installed industrial robots and almost reaches the record level from before the pandemic: 5,284 units were installed in 2018.

In this segment, demand for industrial robots is significantly influenced by the trend towards strengthening domestic supply chains and by projects that drive the energy transition.

The number of installations in other industries exceeding the 3,000-unit mark in the US is: metal and mechanical engineering (4,123 units, +6%) and plastics and chemical products (3,213 units, +5%). They represent a market share of 9% and 7% respectively of industrial robot installations in 2023.

Canada and Mexico

In Canada, the manufacturing industry installed a total of 4,616 industrial robots in 2023 - an increase of 43%. The automotive industry accounts for a market share of 55 %. With 2,549 installed units, sales in the automotive sector rose by 99% in 2023, reaching an all-time high.

Robot installations in Mexico's manufacturing industry remain virtually unchanged at 5,868 units in 2023. The main customer is the automotive industry, which accounts for 69% of robot installations in 2023: sales reached a total of 4,068 units in 2023 (+- 0%) - the third-best result since the peak of 4,805 units in 2017.

The final results of the new World Robotics data will be published by the IFR
will be published on September 24, 2024.