With the acceleration of the global wave of industrial automation and intelligence, industrial robots are entering a period of accelerated growth. Recently, the latest report released by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) shows that industrial robots in Europe are on the rise: the 27 member states of the European Union (EU) installed nearly 72,000 industrial robots in 2022, a year-on-year increase of 6%. Marina Bill, President of the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), said, "The five countries in the EU that use robots the most are Germany, Italy, France, Spain, and Poland. In 2022, they accounted for approximately 70% of all industrial robots installed in the EU.
As the largest robot market in Europe, Germany installed approximately 26000 robots in 2022 (a year-on-year increase of 3%), accounting for 37% of the total installed volume in the EU. Italy is the second largest robot market in Europe after Germany, with nearly 12,000 units installed in 2022 (a year-on-year increase of 10%), reaching a historic high, accounting for 16% of the total installed volume in the European Union. The French robot market ranks third in Europe, with a total installed capacity of 7400 units in 2022, a year-on-year increase of 15%. The annual installation volume in Spain has increased by 12% to 3,800 units. The installation of robots in Poland has been experiencing strong growth for 9 years, reaching 3100 units in 2022, which is the second best performance after the new peak of 3,500 units in 2021.
From the perspective of industry applications, the automotive manufacturing sector is the largest application industry for industrial robots in the European Union, accounting for 38.7%. For example, 27% of the newly deployed robots in Germany in 2022 are installed in the automotive industry. The installed capacity of industrial robots in the French automotive industry has reached 1600 units, representing 21% of the market share. The Spanish automotive industry installed 900 industrial robots, a year-on-year increase of 5%.
Industry experts analyze that the automotive manufacturing industry has always been the main application market for industrial robots, and it is also the earliest industry to apply automation and deploy robots. Against the backdrop of tight energy supply in Europe and a significant increase in gasoline prices, the demand for new energy vehicles in Europe is expected to gradually expand, thereby driving the growth of demand for industrial robots.
From the perspective of technological trends, European industrial robots are gradually shifting from early assembly line operations to flexible and personalized customization. New communication and artificial intelligence technologies are bringing new possibilities for the future development of industrial robots.
Rezia Molfino, President of the Italian Association for Robotics and Automation, stated: When robots and humans need to collaborate together, they must first understand each other. The challenge faced by designers is to model human and human decision-making and problem-solving methods to improve the efficiency of human-machine collaboration. Robots that collaborate with humans need to train to complete specific tasks, explain the results that these tasks are intended to achieve, especially if the tasks are controversial or difficult to understand, to ensure the long-term and responsible use of the machine itself Primacy. These are all necessary technologies, and the EU will increase investment in these areas.