Top 5 robotics trends for 2025

The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) has reported that the global market value of industrial robot installations has reached an all-time high of US$16.5 billion, and that future demand will be driven by a number of technological innovations, market forces and new fields of business.

The top five trends that will impact the robotics industry are predicted by the IFR to be AI, humanoid robotics developments, sustainability and energy efficiency, new areas of robot application, and labour shortages,

Trend 1: Artificial intelligence (physical, analytical and generative)

The trend towards artificial intelligence in robotics is growing. By leveraging diverse AI technologies, robotics will be able to perform a wide range of tasks more efficiently.

Analytical AI enables robots to process and analyse larger amounts of data collected by their sensors. This helps to manage variability and unpredictability in the external environment, in high-mix/low-volume production as well as in public environments. Robots equipped with vision systems, for example, analyse past tasks to identify patterns and optimise their operations for greater accuracy and speed.

Robot and chip manufacturers are investing more in the development of dedicated hardware and software that simulate real-world environments. This so-called ‘physical AI’ allows robots to train themselves in virtual environments and operate by experience, rather than by programming alone.

Generative AI projects also aim to create a ‘ChatGPT moment’ for physical AI. This AI-driven robotics simulation technology will advance in traditional industrial environments as well as in service robotics applications.

Trend 2: Humanoids

Robots in the shape of human bodies have received a lot of media attention. The vision is that robots will become general-purpose tools that can load a dishwasher on their own and work on an assembly line elsewhere. Many start-ups are working on these humanoid general-purpose robots.

Yet, industrial manufacturers are focusing on humanoids performing single-purpose tasks only. Most of these projects are being carried out in the automotive industry, which has played a key role in pioneering robot applications throughout the history of industrial robotics, as well as in the warehousing sector.

From today’s perspective, however, it remains to be seen whether humanoid robots can represent an economically viable and scalable business case for industrial applications, especially when compared to existing solutions. Nevertheless, there are many applications that could inherently benefit from the humanoid form and therefore offer market potential for robotics — for example, in logistics and warehousing.

Trend 3: Sustainability and energy efficiency

Compliance with the UN’s environmental sustainability goals and corresponding regulations around the world is becoming an important requirement for inclusion on supplier whitelists. Robots play a key role in helping manufacturers achieve these goals.

In general, their ability to perform tasks with high precision reduces material waste and improves the output–input ratio of a manufacturing process. These automated systems ensure consistent quality, which is essential for products designed to have long lifespans and minimal maintenance.

In the production of green energy technologies such as solar panels, batteries for electric cars or recycling equipment, robots are critical to cost-effective production. They enable manufacturers to rapidly scale up production to meet growing demand without compromising quality or sustainability.

At the same time, robot technology is being improved to make the robots themselves more energy efficient. For example, the lightweight construction of moving robot components reduces their energy consumption. Different levels of sleep mode put the hardware in an energy-saving parking position. Advances in gripper technology use bionics to achieve high grip strength with almost no energy consumption.

Trend 4: New areas of application

The general manufacturing industry still has a lot of potential for robotic automation. Most manufacturing companies are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and the adoption of industrial robots by SMEs is still hampered by high initial investment and total cost of ownership.

Robot-as-a-Service (RaaS) business models allow enterprises to benefit from robotic automation with no fixed capital involved. RaaS providers specialising in specific industries or applications can offer sophisticated solutions quickly. In addition, low-cost robotics offers solutions for potential customers that find a high-performance robot to be oversized for their needs. Many applications have low requirements in terms of precision, payload and service life, and low-cost robotics addresses this new ‘good enough’ business segment.

Interesting new customer segments beyond manufacturing include construction, laboratory automation and warehousing. Demand across all industries is being driven by the fact that recent crises have led to political awareness of domestic production capacity in strategically important branches. Automation allows manufacturers to nearshore production without sacrificing cost-efficiency.

Trend 5: Addressing labour shortages

The global manufacturing sector continues to suffer from labour shortages, according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO). One of the main drivers is demographic change, which is already burdening labour markets in leading economies such as the United States, Japan, China, the Republic of Korea and Germany. Although the impact varies from country to country, the cumulative effect on the supply chain is a concern almost everywhere.

The use of robotics significantly reduces the impact of these shortages in manufacturing. By automating dirty, dull, dangerous or delicate tasks, human workers can focus on more interesting and higher-value tasks. Robots perform tedious tasks such as visual quality inspection, hazardous painting or heavy lifting. Technological innovations in robotics, such as ease of use, collaborative robots and mobile manipulators, help to fill gaps when and where needed.

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