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North American industrial robot orders ‘essentially flat’, says A3

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Robot orders in North America remained “essentially flat” in the first quarter of 2025, with companies purchasing 9,064 units valued at $580.7 million, according to new data released by the Association for Advancing Automation (A3).

Compared to Q1 2024, this represents a 0.4 percent increase in units ordered and a 15 percent rise in order value, signaling continued demand and increased investment in higher-value automation systems.

A3 will present the full Q1 2025 report on Wednesday, May 14, at Automate 2025, North America’s largest automation tradeshow, taking place May 12-15 in Detroit. [Read more…] about North American industrial robot orders ‘essentially flat’, says A3

Opinion: ‘Specialized robots – not humanoids – will dominate robotics’, says Exotec CEO

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In an opinion piece published on the Fortune website, Romain Moulin, CEO of Exotec, argues that specialized robots, designed for specific tasks, are more efficient and cost-effective than humanoid robots.

This perspective, also highlighted in the Fortune article, suggests that the future of robotics lies in purpose-built machines rather than those mimicking human form.

Moulin uses the analogy of a dishwasher versus a humanoid robot washing dishes to illustrate his point: “The dishwasher is faster, more efficient, and vastly more cost-effective because it’s designed specifically for one task.” [Read more…] about Opinion: ‘Specialized robots – not humanoids – will dominate robotics’, says Exotec CEO

Kuka replaces its CEO as it reflects on ‘challenging financial year’

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Industrial automation specialist Kuka has replaced its CEO, Peter Mohnen, with a new one, Christoph Schell, as it reflects on what it has described as a “challenging financial year”.

Despite the difficult global economic situation, robotics and automation are important growth markets. Kuka has asserted itself well in this highly com-petitive market, has proven to be robust – also in comparison to the mechanical engineering and automotive industries – and increased its order intake by 1.3 percent to around €4.1 billion in the past financial year (2023: €4.0 billion). [Read more…] about Kuka replaces its CEO as it reflects on ‘challenging financial year’

How and why ABB’s spin-off could reshape the robotics industry

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ABB, one of the world’s largest industrial automation companies, is preparing to spin off its “Robotics & Discrete Automation” division into a separate, publicly listed entity.

This strategic move aims to sharpen focus and unlock value, potentially altering the dynamics of the global robotics industry. [Read more…] about How and why ABB’s spin-off could reshape the robotics industry