Robot sales increase by 27% to top 200,000
The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) estimates that some 225,000 robots were sold around the world in 2014. This represents an increase of 27% over 2913, and is the first time robot sales have topped 200,000 units.
Robot sales to China leapt 54% to around 54,000 units. The country currently has 30 robots per 10,000 workers, but is investing in robotics at an increasing rate as wage inflation erodes its traditional competitive advantage. This is something that should set alarm bells ringing in the more developed economies where automation and advanced manufacturers have been seen as differentiators.
International robot suppliers continue to dominate the Chinese market, with combined sales of about 40,000 systems, but domestic Chinese suppliers are starting to make inroads with sales of some 16,000 robots during 2014.
The second biggest market after China was South Korea, with 39,000 robot sales largely driven by investment in its automotive industry
The biggest markets after China and South Korea were Japan, the United States and Germany, and the IFR says these five countries represent 75% of all global robot sales.
