Sales were €16.2 billion, up from €14.3 billion in the previous year.
"The robotics and automation industry is on course for growth," says Frank Konrad, chairman of VDMA. "Currently, the market situation is characterized by full order books. During the pandemic, suppliers built up large order backlogs, which are now being gradually worked off as bottlenecks in the supply chains ease. This means our industry is finally leaving the pandemic behind."
According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), around half a million industrial robots were installed worldwide in 2022, about twice as many as seven years earlier, with China building more units than the United States in 2021. According to a current forecast by VDMA, China will also surpass Germany “in terms of robot density” in 2023.
“With regard to the fierce global competition, there is no time to be complacent,” added Konrad. “We therefore welcome the initiative of Chancellor Olaf Scholz to strengthen robotics and automation in Germany."
