A3: North American robot orders increase 24.8% in Q3 2026

North American companies ordered 10,989 robots valued at $723.5 million in the third quarter of 2026, according to new data released by the Association for Advancing Automation (A3).

Orders increased 24.8% in units and 26.1% in value compared to the third quarter of 2025, which the Association said makes it the strongest quarter of the year so far.

The third-quarter gains pushed total orders for the first nine months of 2026 to 28,984 robots valued at approximately $1.89 billion, representing increases of 9.6% in units and 13.3% in value over the same period last year.

Automotive OEM returns to growth as orders strengthen across industries

After declining during the first half of 2026, automotive OEM robot orders returned to positive year-over-year growth in the third quarter, increasing 7.5%. The report found that automotive component orders climbed 90.4%, continuing the strong demand from suppliers seen earlier in the year.

A3 said that several other industries recorded substantial increases in robot orders during Q3:

• Semi & Electronics/Photonics: +97.6% units
• Plastics & Rubber: +67.7% units
• Life Sciences/Pharma/Biomed: +38.7% units
• Metals: +37.0% units

All other industries increased 0.5% in units ordered, while food & consumer goods declined 23.7%.

A3 said that the growth in the Semi & Electronics/Photonics segment comes against a backdrop of continued investment in U.S. semiconductor manufacturing and strong demand for electronics supporting AI and other applications. A3 said that life sciences have also seen continued investment in domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing, among others.

The report said that automotive component orders have remained particularly strong despite earlier weakness among automotive OEMs. While OEM orders improved in Q3, A3 said that they remained 17% below their year-earlier level through the first nine months of 2026.

“What stands out in the third quarter is not simply the magnitude of the growth, but how broadly it was distributed across the market,” said Alex Shikany, executive vice president at A3. “Automotive OEM orders returned to positive growth, while automotive components and sectors such as semiconductors/electronics and life sciences posted significant gains. That broader mix is important because it points to a robotics market that is becoming increasingly diversified across industries and applications.”

Collaborative robot orders increase 56%

A3’s report found that collaborative robots (cobots) also posted a strong third quarter, with 1,831 units valued at $63.8 million ordered, an increase of approximately 56% in units compared to Q3 2025. Collaborative robots accounted for 16.7% of all robot units ordered during the quarter.

Through September, A3 said that North American companies ordered 4,605 collaborative robots valued at approximately $178 million, representing 15.9% of total robot units and 9.4% of order value.

A3 added that cobots continue to be used across a wide range of applications and industries. In the first nine months of 2026, cobots accounted for 43.8% of robot orders in LifeSciences/Pharma/Biomed and 36.9% in Semi & Electronics/Photonics.

Manufacturing activity continues to expand

The Q3 report found that higher robot orders have come alongside improving manufacturing activity. The September ISM Manufacturing PMI registered 54.5, marking a ninth consecutive month of expansion, while Federal Reserve data showed manufacturing output increasing 0.3% in September.

A3 said that higher input costs, trade uncertainty and the timing of large manufacturing projects remain factors to watch.

But with robot orders strengthening across several industries, A3 said that the North American market enters the final quarter of 2026 with positive momentum.

A3 Vault members can download more detailed Q3 2026 market data and graphs.

A3 is hosting the 2026 International Robot Safety Conference in Detroit from November 3-5.