Automation: Auto industry is significantly back investments in robots

The auto industry in Germany invested significantly less in new industrial robots last year. Around 7,000 units were installed in 2024 – a quarter less than a year earlier, as can be seen from a report that the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) presented in Frankfurt. It is the lowest value in 15 years.

According to the automotive suppliers, which reduced their installations in Germany by 34 percent to 2,700 units, the information was particularly affected. The manufacturers themselves invested in 4,300 new robots (minus 15 percent). In 2023, sales in the industry had still increased significantly-among other things through catch-up effects from the Corona period and investments in e-car factories.

Similar tendencies show in the European comparison: other car countries such as France (minus 41 percent), the Czech Republic (minus 28 percent) and Italy (minus 11 percent) also reported two-digit declines. In the second largest car manufacturer in Europe, Spain, the number of new installations fell by one percent. Hungary was a bigger exception. The industrial robot sales were quadrupled there through major projects. Overall, the number of 2024 robots installed in the European Auto Industry fell by five percent to 30,650.

IFR general secretary Susanne Beller said: “The automotive industry has a sales problem – in Germany and Europe”. In particular, the demand for electric cars was less. Uncertainties – especially in politics – meant that investments are reduced. It could also be that the companies have been unfavorable.

The auto industry is traditionally the largest buyer for robots in Germany, but the proportion of new installations fell between 2021 and 2024 from 35 to 26 percent. That should also be due to the crisis in the industry. In addition to the sluggish blast of electric mobility, the corporations sell significantly fewer cars, especially in China. US tariffs recently burdened them. It doesn’t look better for suppliers. Here, too, many works are not busy. This presses on the profit – and often means: save.

Other industries on the upswing

Overall, however, the German economy recorded a significantly lower minus last year. According to the IRF, the number of newly installed robots was around 27,000. This is the second best result at all and is almost five percent below the record value from the previous year. In some cases, the metal processing industry, the chemical and plastic industry and the electrical industry installed considerably more robots. A total of around 279,000 robots were deployed in the German industry in 2024.