Robot Orders in North America Rise 24.8% in Q3 2026, A3 Says

According to the latest data from the Association for Advancing Automation, or A3, North American companies ordered 10,989 robots worth $723.5 million in the third quarter of 2026. Orders increased 24.8% in units and 26.1% in value compared to the third quarter of 2025, making it the strongest quarter of the year so far.

Third-quarter earnings pushed total orders for the first nine months of 2026 to 28,984 robots worth about $1.89 billion, A3 reported. This represents an increase of 9.6% in units and 13.3% in value compared to the same period last year, the Ann Arbor, Michigan-based organization noted.

Orders are growing in the automotive sector as well as in other sectors

After declining during the first half of 2026, automotive OEM robot orders returned to positive year-over-year growth in the third quarter, increasing 7.5%, A3 said. Orders from automotive component suppliers increased 90.4%, continuing the strong demand from that segment seen earlier in the year.

Several other industries saw substantial increases in robot orders during the third quarter:

All other sectors increased by only 0.5% in terms of units ordered, while food and consumer goods decreased by 23.7%, A3 added.

Growth in the electronics segment has occurred in conjunction with growth in investment in U.S. semiconductor manufacturing, with strong demand for electronic devices that support artificial intelligence and other applications. The life sciences sector has also seen continued investment in domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing, among others, A3 said.

Orders for automotive parts were particularly strong despite earlier weakness in auto production, the organization said. While OEM orders improved in the third quarter, they remained 17% below the prior-year level through the first nine months of 2026.

“What stands out in the third quarter is not simply the magnitude of the growth, but the breadth of its distribution in the market,” said Alex Shikany, executive vice president of A3. “Automotive OEM orders returned to positive growth, while automotive components and sectors such as semiconductor/electronics and life sciences posted significant gains. This broader mix is ​​important because it indicates a robotics market that is becoming increasingly diversified across sectors and applications.”

Cobot orders increase by 56%, notes A3

Collaborative or force- and power-limited robots also had a strong third quarter, with 1,831 units ordered valued at $63.8 million. This is an increase of approximately 56% in units compared to the third quarter of 2025. Collaborative robots accounted for 16.7% of all robotic units ordered during the quarter.

In September, North American companies ordered 4,605 ​​cobots worth approximately $178 million, representing 15.9% of total robotic units and 9.4% of order value.

Collaborative robots continue to be used in a wide range of applications and industries. In the first nine months of 2026, cobots accounted for 43.8% of robot orders in the life sciences/pharmaceuticals/biomedical sectors and 36.9% in the semi-electronic/photonics sectors.

Manufacturing activity continues to expand

The strengthening number of robot orders is accompanied by an improvement in manufacturing activity, A3 said. The Institute of Supply Chain Management’s (ISM) Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for September rose to 54.5, marking the ninth consecutive month of expansion, while the Federal Reserve said U.S. manufacturing production increased 0.3% in September.

Higher production costs, trade uncertainty and the timing of large manufacturing projects remain factors to watch, A3 noted. “But with robot orders strengthening across several industries, the North American market enters the final quarter of 2026 with positive momentum,” he said.

More detailed market data and charts for the third quarter of 2026 are available upon request for press and via A3 Vault for member companies. A3 claimed to be the leading global advocate for the benefits of automation.

A3 has also expanded its Market Intelligence resources with “Business of Automation,” a weekly show examining industry developments; Business of Automation on Substack, which offers additional analysis and industry updates; and SIGNAL, a free research series on robotics, automation and artificial intelligence.

Association members seeking deeper insights can subscribe to MI+ for forecasts, detailed datasets, dashboards and industry analysis. A3 members represent more than 1,500 manufacturers, component suppliers, system integrators, end users, academic institutions, research groups and consultancies.