According to the figures A3 published and The Robot Report covered, 28,984 robots worth about $1.89 billion were ordered in the first nine months of 2026, up 9.6% in units and 13.3% in value. Orders from automotive OEMs returned to growth in the third quarter, at 7.5%, after declining in the first half, but year to date they remain 17% below last year. Orders from automotive component suppliers rose 90.4%.
In semiconductors, electronics and photonics, orders rose 97.6% in units, and in life sciences and pharmaceuticals 38.7%. A3 linked the electronics growth to investment in US chip manufacturing and demand for electronics supporting AI. In food and consumer goods, orders fell 23.7%.
Companies ordered 1,831 collaborative robots worth $63.8 million, up about 56% in units, making up 16.7% of all units in the quarter. A3 named higher input costs, trade uncertainty and the timing of large manufacturing projects as factors to watch.