The North American robotics industry recorded moderate growth in the first half of 2025, according to new data from the Association for Advancing Automation (A3). Robot orders rose 4.3% and revenue increased 7.5% compared with the same period in 2024, totaling 17,635 units valued at $1.094 billion.
Automotive original equipment manufacturers led the gains with a 34% year-over-year increase in units ordered. The plastics and rubber sector grew 9%, while life sciences, pharmaceuticals, and biomedical industries rose 8%. A3 attributed the demand to factors such as reshoring initiatives, labor shortages, and the pursuit of efficiency improvements.
In the second quarter alone, 8,571 robots were ordered, worth $513 million, representing a 9% increase in units compared with Q2 2024. Life sciences posted the highest growth in the quarter at 22%, followed by semiconductors, electronics, and photonics at 18%. Plastics, automotive components, and general industry also recorded steady increases.
Collaborative robots, or cobots, accounted for a rising share of the market. A total of 3,085 cobots valued at $114 million were ordered in the first half of the year. In Q2, cobots made up 23.7% of all units sold and 14.7% of revenue. A3 began reporting cobots as a distinct category in the first quarter of 2025 and said it plans to track sector-specific trends in future reports.
Non-automotive industries represented the majority of orders in Q2, accounting for 56% of total units, signaling broader adoption of automation beyond the automotive sector.
A3 Executive Vice President Alex Shikany said the growth in orders reflects how companies increasingly view automation as part of long-term strategy, emphasizing resilience and competitiveness in addition to efficiency.
