If this message is not displayed properly, please click here.

President's Report by Takayuki Ito

As we prepare to meet at the Automate Show in Chicago, this newsletter also marks the conclusion of my term as President of the IFR. It is a good opportunity to reflect on the past two years and the experiences that came with serving our global robotics community.

US Robot Industry Returns to Double Digit Growth

The number of industrial robot installations in the United States rose by 11% year-on-year, to reach 38,000 units in 2025. This significant recovery is driven by robust growth in the food industry and other non-manufacturing sectors. These are preliminary figures.

IERA Award 2026 Goes to Flying Warehouse Robots by Verity

The 2026 IERA Award goes to Swiss deep-tech company Verity for its fully autonomous indoor drone system. The aerial robots help in the logistics and retail sector, continuously keeping track of inventory without GPS or human intervention. 

China Makes AI-powered Robots Core of National Strategy

China has launched its 15th Five-Year Plan by placing robotics at the heart of its modern industrial system. The aim is to pivot its AI research towards physical applications with robots as main drivers for economic growth.

IFR General Secretary and Delegation Visit Risong Technology

A delegation led by Dr. Susanne Bieller visited Guangzhou to conduct in-depth research into the robotics industry development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Robot Density Surges in Europe, Asia, and Americas

Economies worldwide are prioritising the integration of factory robots, as automation becomes a critical tool for boosting productivity. In the global automation race, the Western European countries reached a record 267 robots per 10,000 employees in the manufacturing industry 2024 – ahead of North America with 204 units and Asia with 131 units. 

The IFR Executive Roundtable: What's next in Automation?

As robotics continues to reshape industries worldwide, staying ahead of emerging trends and technologies is critical for businesses looking to remain competitive. On 24 June 2026 this executive roundtable brings together top leaders from the robotics sector to discuss the innovations, market dynamics, and strategic shifts defining the industry today. 

Automate Show 22-25 June in Chicago

You plan to visit the Automate show? Enter the show website to register for a free ticket and stop by at the IFR booth in North Hall #12056 at McCormick Place. See you ...

World Robotics Market Reports

Pre-Ordering for World Robotics 2026 will start on 24 June

Our annual studies World Robotics 2026 – Industrial Robots and Service Robots will be published on 24 September 2026. On 24 June we will start taking pre-orders for the studies. Place your order and you will receive a complimentary copy of World Robotics 2025. On 24 September 2026 you will get access to the new studies.

Our latest Blogs and Portraits

Portrait of Rong Xiong

My curiosity about new technologies is the biggest driving force for me to enter the robotics industry.

Portrait of Susanne Timsjö

What truly drives me is the opportunity to make a real difference for industries and the people working in them.

Do robots save lives and prevent workplace injuries?

While economist have been occupied with the impact of robots on employment and wages for decades, there is another question which deserves just as much attention: can robots save lives and prevent workplace injuries?

Latest You Tube Video

New Case Studies

How cobots and AI are being used to revive coral reefs

In Western Australia, Coral Maker has partnered up with Autodesk to develop a system that uses collaborative robots (cobots) from Universal Robots to help revitalize the coral reefs of Australia. 

Güdel gantry robot masters extraordinary challenge

Buildings directly from the printer - what was once a bold utopia a few short years ago has now become part of everyday life. Affentranger Bau AG has developed this innovation, which opens up new dimensions for the construction industry, to series maturity. 

Paving the way for digitalization of the damper shopfloor

Increasing speed, flexibility and operator-friendliness of a thyssenkrupp Bilstein production line via retrofit upgrade to the new Panasonic TAWERS G4 Welding Robot System. 

New IFR Members

Member News

European Robotics Forum 2027 - Call for Contributions

The European Robotics Forum (ERF) is Europe’s leading gathering for the robotics and AI community, bringing together over 1,500 participants from industry, academia and the public sector to explore emerging technologies, applications and policy challenges shaping the field. 

Hiroshi Fujiwara and Robert Little Selected for Engelberger Awards

The Association for Advancing Automation (A3), announced Hiroshi Fujiwara, Executive Director of the Japan Robot Association (JARA), and Robert Little, co-founder of ATI Industrial Automation, as the winners of the 2026 Joseph F. Engelberger Robotics Awards, the world’s most prestigious robotics honor. 

Events




Automate

22-25 June 2026
Chicago, IL, USA

ISR 2026 Americas

22-25 June 2026
Chicago, IL, USA


TAIROS

19-22 August 2026
Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center

AUTOMATIK 2026

8-10 September 2026
Brøndby, Denmark 

FuturePulse

15-16 September 2026
Eindhoven, Netherlands

CORA 2026

28-29 September 2026
Kiel, Germany
Youtube Kanal LinkedIn Firmenname
IFR International Federation of Robotics
Lyoner Str. 18, 60528 Frankfurt, Germany

phone +49-69-6603 1697
Email / Website



The International Federation of Robotics is the voice of the global robotics industry. IFR represents national robot associations, academia, and manufacturers of industrial and service robots from over twenty countries
IFR has neither checked the content of distributed articles nor does IFR assume any liability with respect to the technical quality or their content, including products or services offered or in any other respect.
Please read the full content of our Privacy Policy on our webpage.