Summary : North American robotics orders in Q1 2026 remained steady overall, with strong growth in life sciences, electronics, and collaborative robots offsetting a decline in automotive OEM demand.

North American companies ordered 9,055 robots worth $543 million in the first quarter of 2026, according to data from the Association for Advancing Automation (A3). While overall unit orders were essentially flat compared to Q1 2025, revenue fell 6.4%, largely due to a sharp decline in automotive OEM orders, which dropped 35.1% in units and 48.2% in revenue. The timing and size of automotive programs magnified the impact on the total market.

Despite the automotive slowdown, other segments of the robotics market posted strong growth. Automotive component suppliers increased orders by 28.1% in units, while several non-automotive industries saw double-digit gains: life sciences/pharma/biomed (+54.1% units, +70.2% revenue), semiconductors/electronics/photonics (+31.7% units, +79.2% revenue), plastics and rubber (+25.2% units, +32.6% revenue), and food and consumer goods (+16.0% units, +16.3% revenue). These figures indicate a continued diversification of automation demand across industries.

Collaborative robots were among the fastest-growing categories, with 1,637 units ordered for $69.8 million, up 55.6% in units and 78.2% in revenue year-over-year. Adoption was especially high in life sciences (60.7% of sector orders), semiconductors/electronics (45.9%), and other industries (29.0%), highlighting the growing role of flexible, human-robot collaborative solutions in modern manufacturing.

Overall, the Q1 2026 data underscores that robotics adoption is expanding beyond traditional automotive manufacturing. Companies across life sciences, electronics, food, and general manufacturing continue to invest in automation to address labor shortages, improve productivity, enhance quality, and remain competitive.