Robotics in Germany back on growth track – VDMA reports

FRANKFURT, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The robotics and automation sector in Germany will generate sales of €13.4 billion in 2021, an increase of 11 percent - according to the forecast of the VDMA Robotics + Automation Association. Green technology strategies are important drivers of the economic recovery. In contrast, the year 2020 was still clearly negative, particularly under the impact of the Corona pandemic, although the decline in sales of minus 18 percent was more moderate than originally expected.

"The forecast for the current year shows a strong recovery and signifies a positive turning point for the industry," says Wilfried Eberhardt, Chairman of VDMA Robotics Automation. "Order books in particular are currently filling up fast. Even better sales figures will be achievable if the current supply bottlenecks for key components can be quickly overcome. The outlook into 2022 is excellent, as many complex projects now starting up will only be invoiced with a time lag. With the current momentum, the chances are good that we will already achieve - or even exceed - the record result from 2018 next year," explains Eberhardt.

Comparison of the three sub-sectors of Robotics and Automation

The three sub-sectors developed differently in 2020: Robotics revenue decreased by 23 percent to EUR 3.1 billion. Integrated Assembly Solutions recorded a decline in sales of 20 percent to EUR 6.4 billion. The Machine Vision sector lost a comparatively small 4 percent: Industry sales here reached EUR 2.6 billion. Overall, the revenue of the complete Robotics and Automation sector declined by 18 percent.

Impetus for the future

The robotics and automation business is characterized by strong pent-up demand: Investments were postponed in the course of the pandemic and are now filling the order books. The transformation on the way to climate neutrality and a sustainable use of resources is also generating new business: robotics and automation are increasingly proving to be key technologies.

Full text press release, graphics and photos for download at: https://www.vdma.org/presse