The first half of 2025 has set a positive tone for the North American industrial automation landscape, as highlighted by the latest market intelligence from the Association for Advancing Automation (A3). According to A3’s new report, North American companies ordered a total of 17,635 robots, amounting to a combined value of $1.094 billion in just the first six months of the year. This marks a 4.3% increase in unit orders and a 7.5% boost in sales revenue compared to the same period in 2024, indicating robust investment momentum despite broader economic complexities.

A3’s data underscores a shift toward user-friendly, workforce-ready automation, with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the automotive sector leading growth. Automakers posted a striking 34% year-over-year increase in robots ordered, further supporting the ongoing transformation toward smart manufacturing and resilient operations. Other industries, notably plastics and rubber (up 9%) and life sciences, pharma, and biomed (up 8%), also contributed meaningfully to sector-wide gains as manufacturers respond to reshoring trends, labor shortages, and the pursuit of higher operational efficiencies.

Quarterly figures for Q2 2025 are particularly revealing: companies placed orders for 8,571 robots valued at $513 million, representing a 9% increase in units over Q2 2024. The life sciences/pharma/biomed category achieved the strongest sectoral growth at 22%, closely followed by semiconductors, electronics, and photonics at 18%. Steady progress was also noted in plastics, automotive components, and broader non-automotive manufacturing applications, indicating that the automation wave is both broad and deepening in reach.

This expanding adoption is closely tied to the rise of collaborative robots (cobots), which are engineered to operate safely alongside human workers and address automation needs where space or labor constraints are most acute. In H1 2025, cobots comprised 3,085 units ordered, generating $114 million in revenue. Notably, in Q2 alone, cobots accounted for 23.7% of total units and 14.7% of revenue—affirming their growing preference for flexible production environments and smaller-scale operations. A3 began tracking this distinct segment in greater detail in 2025, reflecting cobots’ significance in shaping future deployment trends.

Perhaps most notable is that, for Q2 2025, non-automotive sectors cumulatively surpassed automotive in robot unit adoption for the first time, clinching 56% of the total order volume. This transition illustrates automation’s vital role outside traditional automotive manufacturing, powering progress in pharmaceuticals, electronics, and other advanced manufacturing domains.

Industry leaders are increasingly positioning automation as a core strategic asset rather than merely an operational upgrade. According to Alex Shikany, Executive Vice President at A3, "The continued growth in robot orders underscores what we’ve been hearing from our members: automation is now central to long-term business strategy. It’s not just about efficiency anymore. It’s about building resilience, improving flexibility, and staying competitive in a rapidly changing global market." Should these patterns persist, the North American robotics market is set to surpass 2024’s growth by mid-single-digit percentages before the year’s close.

A3’s report coincides with the launch of their new premium Market Intelligence platform (MI+), available exclusively to members. MI+ delivers real-time forecasts and actionable, sector-specific analytics, aiming to empower plant managers, manufacturing executives, and automation technology vendors with deeper market visibility and predictive decision tools. This premium service is particularly relevant for stakeholders poised to capitalize on dynamic shifts in automation adoption across core North American industries.

With this acceleration in robot orders, collaborative technology adoption, and strategic market investment, North American manufacturers, system integrators, and technology partners are well-positioned to capture opportunities in an increasingly digital, automated industrial future.