Robot sales increase by six percent

Germany has the fourth highest robot density in the world

Germany is by far the largest robot market in Europe: around 26,000 units were installed in 2022 (up three percent on the previous year). This corresponds to a 37% share of the EU total. The country has the fourth-highest robot density in the world after Japan, Singapore and the Republic of Korea.

The main customer is the metal industry

The automotive industry is traditionally the main customer for industrial robots in Germany. 27% of newly deployed units were installed in this sector in 2022. This corresponds to 7,100 units - 22% fewer than in the previous year. This reflects the familiar cyclical investment behavior in this segment. In general industry, the main customer was the metal sector, which installed a total of 4,200 units (up 20%) in 2022. This is above the pre-pandemic level of around 3,500 units per year, with a peak of 3,700 units in 2019. Installations in the plastics and chemicals industry returned to pre-pandemic levels with an increase of 7% to 2,200 units in 2022.

Robots for the plastics and chemicals industry in Italy

Italy is the second-largest robot market in Europe after Germany. In 2022, an all-time high of almost 12,000 units (up ten percent) were installed. This corresponded to a 16% share of total installations in the EU. The country has a strong metal and machinery industry: sales reached 3,700 units in 2022 - an increase of 18% compared to the previous year. Sales of robots in the plastics and chemical industry increased by 42% with 1,400 units installed. Italy also has a significant food and beverage industry. Installations rose by nine percent to 1,400 units in 2022, while demand from the automotive industry fell by 22 percent to 900 units. This segment is dominated by the Stellantis Group, which emerged from the merger of Fiat-Chrysler and PSA (France).

France strong in the metal industry

The robot market in France ranked third in Europe in 2022. Annual installations rose by 15 percent to 7,400 units. This is less than a third of the number in neighboring Germany. The main customer is the metal industry with a market share of 22%. In this segment, 1,600 robots were installed - an increase of 23 percent. The automotive industry grew by 19 percent and reached 1,600 units. This corresponds to a market share of 21%. The French government's €100 billion stimulus package for investment in smart factories, which came into force in mid-2021, is likely to drive demand for industrial robots in the coming years.

Spain's robots, especially in the automotive and metal industries

Annual installations in Spain rose by twelve percent to a total of 3,800 units. Robot installations are traditionally driven by the automotive industry. According to the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA), Spain is the second largest car producer in Europe after Germany. The Spanish automotive industry installed 900 units - an increase of five percent. Sales in the metal industry rose by 20 percent and reached 900 units. The automotive and metal industries accounted for almost 50% of robot installations in Spain in 2022.

War in neighboring country dampens Poland's production

Robot installations in Poland have been rising sharply for nine years. The annual statistics show a total of 3,100 units for 2022 - the second-best result after the new high of 3,500 units in 2021. Demand from the metal and machinery industry rose by 17% to 600 units in 2022. The automotive industry recorded cyclical demand with 500 installed units - a decline of 37%. The war in neighboring Ukraine dampened the manufacturing industry. However, investments in digitalization and automation technologies will receive a total of 160 billion euros in funding from the EU between 2021 and 2027.

Robot installations in Europe, including non-EU member states, reached a total of 84,000 units in 2022 - an increase of three percent compared to the previous year.