Asia Pacific drives global industrial robotics market

The world market for industrial robotics is projected to reach 204 thousand units by the year 2017, driven primarily by strong growth opportunities in developing countries in Asia Pacific, especially China. The low robot density in most industrial sectors in developing countries offers strong potential for growth. Also poised to drive future growth is increasing market penetration in non-conventional industries, such as cosmetics, food and beverage, rubber and plastics, among others.

While lethargy in industrial automation, particularly in U.S., Europe and Japan, continues to stabilise growth patterns in these countries, increased adoption of robotics will drive strong gains in the developing countries. China especially is expected to witness the maximum growth driven by rising labour costs and issues related to manufacturing efficiency and safety.

Also, the growing clout of Chinese automakers in the global market is creating strong demand for robots in the domestic auto industry. Given that China remains an export oriented economy, increased spending by the Chinese government to ensure development of domestic manufacturing processes is generating strong demand for robots in packaging and palletising applications in addition to automotive applications.