Installations in the UK´s automotive industry jump 297% to 1,924 units in 2023. Photo: ABBSales of industrial robots in the UK reached a new record high with 3,830 units installed in 2023, an increase of 51% compared to the previous year and driven mainly by demand from the automotive industry. These are findings of the latest
World Robotics 2024 report, published by the
International Federation of Robotics (IFR).
IFR president Marina Bill said: “The UK manufacturing industry invested heavily in the installation of robotics in 2023. The ‘super deduction’ a massive tax break for investment in plant and machinery expired after the first quarter of 2023 and has reportedly boosted the uptake of robots.”
Installations in the automotive industry jumped 297% to 1,924 units in 2023. These units are mainly used for assembling tasks as several major electric vehicle projects were completed. The car segment accounts for a market share of 50%, while the food and beverage industry increased its installations by 59% to 555 units, and the metalworking industry was up 20% to 324 units.
Despite its strong manufacturing industry, the UK’s use of robotics and automation still lags behind other European competitors. While operational stock reached 28,831 units, up 9% in 2023, Germany had nine-times as many with 269,427 units and Italy had 96,803 units about three-times as many, and France with 58,572 units about twice as many industrial robots. According to the IFR, both UK automotive and industry in general need to continue to invest in automation to compete on the international stage.
However, after the end of the ‘super deduction’ in 2023, only a few investment announcements have been made by the automotive industry, which will come into effect in 2025 and 2026. As a result, robotics installations are expected to fall sharply in 2024, before slowly recovering and returning to growth from 2025 onwards.
The IFR is the voice of the global robotics industry and represents national robot associations, academia, and manufacturers of industrial and service robots in over 20 countries.