Factory robots see slight drop in growth, but still have momentum

Despite a slight drop in the installations of factory robots in 2024, the push to automate automotive and other manufacturing was carrying momentum into fiscal 2025 and could benefit from U.S. federal priorities, said Jane Heffner, vice president of the International Federation of Robotics, at an industry expo in Detroit.

Heffner, also the VP of sales for Teradyne Robotics, said the outlook for 2025 is strong, based on orders in Q4 of 2024. “We're seeing a double-digit increase in order intake from Q4 to Q1 of 2025,” she said. She acknowledged the global economic uncertainty but said the “interest in moving forward is still there.” She delivered her remarks at Automate 2025, the Association for Advancing Automation's annual expo, held this year in downtown Detroit.