North American companies ordered 10,989 robots valued at $723.5 million in the third quarter of 2026, according to data from the Association for Advancing Automation (A3). Orders rose 24.8 percent in units and 26.1 percent in value year over year, making Q3 the strongest quarter of 2026 so far. For the first nine months, orders reached 28,984 robots worth approximately $1.89 billion — up 9.6 percent in units and 13.3 percent in value over the same period last year.
Key takeaways
- Automotive OEM orders returned to growth in Q3, up 7.5 percent after first-half declines, though they remain 17 percent below year-earlier levels through September.
- Automotive Component orders climbed 90.4 percent, sustaining strong supplier demand seen earlier in the year.
- Other Q3 unit gains: Semi & Electronics/Photonics +97.6 percent, Plastics & Rubber +67.7 percent, Life Sciences/Pharma/Biomed +38.7 percent, Metals +37 percent. Food & Consumer Goods fell 23.7 percent.
- Collaborative robots reached 1,831 units worth $63.8 million, up roughly 56 percent in units and 16.7 percent of all units ordered. Through September, cobots totaled 4,605 units (15.9 percent of units, 9.4 percent of value), representing 43.8 percent of orders in life sciences and 36.9 percent in semiconductors/electronics.
A3 executive vice president Alex Shikany attributed the quarter's significance to the breadth of growth rather than its size, noting the market is becoming increasingly diversified across industries and applications. The figures arrive alongside a September ISM Manufacturing PMI of 54.5 — a ninth consecutive month of expansion — and a 0.3 percent rise in manufacturing output. Higher input costs, trade uncertainty and the timing of large projects remain factors to watch.
Source: Robotics & Automation News · Published 2026-11-02T11:52:59 · “North American robot orders increase 25 percent in third quarter of 2026”