A new report from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) states that robot automation density has achieved a new global record with approximately 113 units per 10,000 employees recorded in the manufacturing sector. Robot density is equal to the number of operational robots relative to the number of workers. According to IFR President Milton Guerry, measuring robot density makes it easier to compare automation levels across different countries.
Robot density has grown exponentially since 2016 when the IFR reported that there were 74 industrial robots per 10,000 employees. This shows that countries are gradually shifting more and more to automation technology for manufacturing processes.
Western Europe and Nordic European countries tallied the highest number of units per 10,000 employees with 225 and 204, respectively. Meanwhile, North America and Southeast Asia followed right behind them with 153 and 119 units per 10,000 employees. Regions have shown a significant increase since 2018: Europe had only 99, the United States had 84, and Asia had 63 units at the time.
The IFR has also announced the top 10 countries in the world with the highest robot density in 2019. Singapore has overtaken South Korea this time around, while Italy has officially been dropped from the list. Hong Kong has also joined the list thanks to China’s continuous efforts to grow its manufacturing capacity through robot integrations. Read below for more details.
1. Singapore
Singapore currently has 918 robot units per 10,000 employees, making it the country with the highest robot density in 2019. The electronics industry is the largest customer of industrial robots in Singapore. According to the report, semiconductor and computer peripheral developers have 75 percent of the total number of robots in the country.
Singapore was second on the list back in 2018 with 488 robots per 10,000 workers. At the time, the electronics industry had 90 percent of total robots. Other industries such as health care, construction, and certain services have recently begun integrating more robots into their operations.
2. South Korea
South Korea had 868 units per 10,000 employees in 2019. The country is currently the market leader in LCD and memory chip manufacturing with the likes of Samsung and LG responsible for most of the major production output. Products include motor vehicles and batteries for electric cars.
South Korea was previously the number one country in robot automation density, exceeding the global average eightfold back between 2017 and 2018. This growth can be attributed to the rise of the electronics and automotive industries in the country.
3. Japan
Japan currently has 364 robots per 10,000 workers. It is a country that’s dominated by robots: 47 percent of global robot production occurs in Nippon. Industries that have major use of robot automation include the electrical and electronics industry (at 32%) and the metal and machinery industry (at 13%).
The country managed to bounce back after dropping to the fourth spot in 2018. There has been significantly more growth in robot density from having 303 units per 10,000 employees in the previous report where it first dropped from 2016’s 305 average.
4. Germany
Germany currently has the largest robot market in Europe with 346 robots per 10,000 employees. According to the IFR, 38 percent of industrial robots in the region operate in Germany. The automotive industry uses the highest number of robots but has still seen a rise in employment in the sector since 2010 with 850,000 employed in 2019.
The country was previously ranked third in 2018 and has seen steady growth since 2016. The IFR expects annual supply to rise by 5 percent on average per year due to the demand for robots in the country’s automotive industry.
5. Sweden
Sweden has remained in the fifth spot for the previous two years with 274 robots for every 10,000 workers. The metal industry and automotive industry have the highest share of robots with 35 percent each. The country has been experiencing a stable growth in automation from 223 in 2018 and 212 in 2016.
6. Denmark
Similar to Sweden, Denmark has remained in the sixth spot with 243 units for every 10,000 employees. The country has experienced a large growth in automation over the past few years, jumping from 188 units per 10,000 employees in 2015 to 211 in 2018. According to previous reports, the city of Odense has the largest robotics cluster in the country.
7. Hong Kong
Hong Kong joined the list in 2019 with 242 robots per 10,000 workers. The electronics industry, including batteries, semiconductors, and microchips, currently has the largest share in robot integration. Robot developers in the country have also been working on making automation available outside of traditional manufacturing by introducing collaborative robots for various kinds of businesses.
8. Taiwan
Taiwan has risen through the list going from the tenth spot to the eighth in the span of two years. The country currently has 234 robots per 10,000 employees. This is a significant increase from having 177 back in 2018 and 155 in 2015.
9. USA
The IFR predicted that robot sales would increase in the United States by 15 percent annually between 2017 and 2020. However, the country still dropped in the list despite the increase in units with 228 robots per 10,000 employees in 2019. The automotive industry remains the largest user of automotive robots with a 52 percent share back in 2016. The US is currently the second-largest global car manufacturer according to volume.
10. Belgium/Luxemburg
Belgium also dropped in the list from ninth to the last spot in 2019 with 214 robots per 10,000 workers. However, the country has been experiencing a steady increase in automation over the years from 184 in 2018 and 169 in 2015.
For more information, visit http://www.ifr.org/.
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