A3: Robot orders increase in Q2 as automation demand broadens across industries

North American companies ordered 8,940 robots valued at $622 million in the second quarter of 2026, according to new data released by the Association for Advancing Automation (A3).

Compared to the second quarter of 2025, A3 said that this represents a 4.3% increase in units ordered and a 21.3% increase in revenue. Second-quarter results brought first-half totals to 17,995 units valued at $1.166 billion, representing 2.0% growth in units and 6.6% growth in order value over the first half of 2025.

General industry continues to offset automotive OEM softness

The association’s report found that the first half of 2026 continued a trend that has been building over the past several quarters: robotics demand is becoming increasingly diversified across industries.

While Automotive OEM orders declined 25% compared to the first half of 2025, A3’s report found that growth in the Automotive Component and several general industry sectors helped offset that decline, including:

• Semi & Electronics/Photonics: +35% units
• Life Sciences/Pharma/Biomed: +32% units
• Automotive Component: +24% units
• Food & Consumer Goods: +17% units
• Plastics & Rubber: +6% units
• All Other Industries: +6% units
• Metals: +3% units

Second quarter growth broadens across key manufacturing sectors

A3 said that several industries posted double-digit year-over-year gains in robot orders during the second quarter.

Semi & Electronics/Photonics increased 38% year over year, while the Automotive Component grew 20%.

Food & Consumer Goods and Metals each increased 18%, and Life Sciences/Pharma/Biomed posted 9% growth.

A3 said that non-automotive customers accounted for 56% of robot units ordered during the quarter, continuing the trend of robots being adopted across a variety of industries.

Collaborative robots remain an important part of the market

The report saw that collaborative robots (cobots) continued to represent a significant portion of automation investment during the first half of 2026. Companies ordered 2,774 collaborative robots valued at $114 million, accounting for 15.4% of all robot units ordered and 9.8% of total order revenue. In the second quarter alone, companies ordered 1,137 collaborative robots valued at $44 million, representing 12.7% of total units and 7.1% of quarterly revenue.

A3 said that collaborative robot adoption remained particularly strong in Life Sciences/Pharma/Biomed and Semi & Electronics/Photonics, where collaborative robots accounted for 43.7% and 36.5% of first-half robot orders, respectively.

“The first half of 2026 shows how the mix of the robotics market continues to evolve,” said Alex Shikany, executive vice president at A3. “Automotive remains an important driver of demand, while we’re also seeing growth across a wider range of industries. Results were not uniform across every sector, but the breadth of growth outside Automotive OEM is an important trend we’ll continue to watch.”

Manufacturing conditions continue to support automation investment

Despite continued uncertainty across the broader economy, A3 said that manufacturers continued investing in automation during the first half of 2026. Manufacturing PMI remained in expansion territory for a sixth consecutive month in June, according to the report, with new orders and production continuing to grow. Federal Reserve data also showed manufacturing output 1.1% above its year-earlier level in June.

While the timing of large Automotive OEM projects and broader economic conditions will continue to influence quarterly results, A3 said that the first-half data suggests manufacturers continue to view automation as a long-term investment in competitiveness.