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I am passionate about the world of robotics—and with good reason. Few technologies are evolving at a comparable pace, and their impact is already clearly being felt across the industry. Every year, more robots are installed in factories worldwide. Yet, what is truly interesting is not just the number of robots, but what they are capable of doing.
New robots are becoming increasingly flexible, precise, and easy to program. Moreover, they now have an extraordinary ally: artificial intelligence.
The latest data from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) is striking. In 2025, more than 600,000 industrial robots were installed globally—an 11% increase over the previous year. The total number of operational robots has reached 5 million units, a record figure.
However, one statistic stands out in particular: China installed around 354,000 robots in 2025, accounting for approximately 59% of all new global installations. In other words, practically six out of every ten robots installed worldwide ended up in Chinese factories.
The gap compared to other major markets is vast. The United States installed about 38,000 robots, and Japan just over 36,000. Germany, the European leader, fell short of the 25,000 mark.
I believe the figures speak for themselves. Automation is synonymous with competitiveness. For a long time, we have attributed China's competitiveness to its labor costs. Yet, that explanation is becoming increasingly incomplete.
A fundamental part of China's industrial strategy involves automating, digitizing, and continuously improving its production processes. A robot can work for long hours with consistent precision, repeat an operation thousands of times, and generate a vast amount of data regarding the production process.
If we also incorporate artificial intelligence, computer vision, and advanced sensor systems, the possibilities expand even further. AI is enabling robots to better adapt to changing environments, simplifying their programming, and broadening the range of tasks they can perform. The IFR itself identifies these technological advances as key factors opening up new applications for robotics.
Europe is making progress, but at a slower pace. Europe is also automating its factories, albeit at a different and more measured rate. Germany remains, by a wide margin, the leading European market for industrial robots. In 2025, it installed just under 25,000 units. Italy recorded around 7,800 installations and France about 4,500, while Spain stood at approximately 4,300.
These figures reveal a reality that warrants close attention. Industrial automation is not merely a technological issue; it is also a matter of productivity, costs, quality, and the ability to compete in international markets.
And, dear friends, nothing happens by chance. The cold hard numbers show us who is most strongly committed to automation and process competitiveness.
China has been working in this direction for years, and the results are beginning to clearly manifest in its industrial capacity. However, achieving a leadership position does not happen overnight. It requires investment, training, technology, suppliers, infrastructure, and—above all—a strategy sustained over many years.
When a company achieves a leadership position in its market, there is usually a great deal of hard work behind it. Staying at the top requires continued investment and improvement while others are still merely contemplating such steps.
Robotics is a prime example of this. And all indications are that we are only at the beginning of a much deeper industrial transformation. The IFR projects that global installations will continue to grow, reaching nearly 800,000 units by 2029.
The question, therefore, is no longer whether robots will be part of the industry's future. Robots are already here. The real question is who will be able to make the best use of them.
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