North America Sees Record Robot Orders Surge in Q1 2021: Non‑Automotive Sectors Lead Growth

Robotics Demand Accelerates Across North America in Q1 2021

According to the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), robot orders in the first quarter of 2021 jumped 20% year‑over‑year, reaching 9,098 units valued at $466 million.

The surge was driven by non‑automotive industries, with metals up 86%, life sciences/pharma/biomed up 72%, food & consumer goods up 32%, and other sectors up 12%.

North American companies purchased 9,098 units worth $466 million, with non‑automotive firms increasing orders by 28% compared to the same quarter last year. In the automotive sector, OEMs and component suppliers saw a 12% year‑over‑year rise.

Q1 2021 marks the second‑best start to any year on record for North American robot orders, trailing only 2017, and the second‑best quarter for non‑automotive orders after Q4 2020.

In Q4 2020, robot sales surged 64% over Q4 2019, a record‑setting growth that highlighted the pandemic’s impact on automation demand.

Last year, during COVID‑19, non‑automotive sectors surpassed automotive in robot orders for the first time. Overall North American sales grew 4% in 2020 versus 2019.

Jeff Burnstein, President of A3 notes that the uptick in non‑automotive robotics is expected to continue post‑pandemic.

For deeper insight, Plastics Technology examined how COVID‑19 reshaped automation and the rise of new automation firms that emerged just before the pandemic.

Non‑automotive sales keep pushing North American robotic business to record results.