Report gives first overview of Australian robotics industry

Robotics advisory group and automation marketplace HowToRobot has released new research in collaboration with Robotics Australia Group that reveals how Australia’s robotics industry is leveraging the country’s unique strengths in the global robotics race.

The report shows an emerging, fast-growing industry of 466 robot and automation suppliers with a unique potential for tapping into the growing global demand for robotics and automation.

“Many societies struggle with labour shortages and aging populations and need robots and automation to maintain living standards,” said Søren Peters, CEO of HowToRobot. “They will count on robots to automate not only factories but also many other sectors, where Australia has a strong focus.”

Australian mix of factory and field robots

Australia’s robotics industry has specialised in automation for both ‘factory’ and ‘field’, including many sectors not traditionally served by robotics companies in other markets. This includes, among others, the mining sector served by 29% of Australia’s robotics companies according to the research. The construction, agriculture and forestry sectors are also strongly represented, with 20% and 19% of robotics companies serving each sector, respectively.

“As a country with vast geography and few people, we have developed a special expertise in field robotics, which can operate in challenging, unstructured environments,” said Dr Sue Keay, Chair of Robotics Australia Group.

Examples include swarms of robots used in agriculture, underwater robots for offshore inspection, mobile robots for inspecting outdoor areas that are difficult to access and many others. Most commonly, robotics companies in Australia focus on automating tasks that are found across a range of industries, such as handling and picking items (covered by 51% of robotics suppliers), inspection and quality control (37% of suppliers), logistics and storage functions (33% of suppliers) and packing and palletising (28% of suppliers).

Industry overview supports robotics growth

“The effort to map out robotics providers in Australia is important to help break down one of the main barriers to robot adoption,” Søren Peters said. “A growing number of businesses need automation but often struggle with getting started. Where do you find the right solution and business to provide it if you don’t know where to look?

“Providing an overview of the industry is a first step towards bringing our global marketplace to Australia and making it easier for businesses to find the right robotics and automation providers.”

The report provides an overview of who the robot and automation suppliers in Australia are, what they do and who they serve. The overview is not only useful for businesses dealing directly with the robotics industry according to Keay. It also helps build a better public understanding of robotics in Australia at a key moment:

“Robotics is on the public agenda like never before with the upcoming national robotics strategy. Knowing who our robotics providers are helps us understand the key strengths of the industry to build on,” she said.

Some of the key findings in the 2023 Market Overview of Robot and Automation Companies in Australia report include:

• The robotics industry in Australia includes 466 suppliers; among these, 57% are integrators, 19% robot manufacturers (including drones), 15% component suppliers, 7% distributors and 3% advisors.
• The top industries served by most robotics suppliers (besides the robotics industry itself) include metal and machinery (47% of suppliers), logistics (42% of suppliers) and food and beverage (30% of suppliers).
• Other non-manufacturing industries with a particularly strong focus in Australia include mining (29% of robotics suppliers), energy (24% of suppliers), construction (20% of suppliers), agriculture and forestry (19% of suppliers) and recycling (17% of suppliers).
   

The full report contains insights about the market for robotics and automation in Australia, statistics on robotics companies and a complete data sheet containing every supplier identified in the research. The report is available at HowToRobot.com.

Image: iStock.com/gorodenkoff