North American robot orders rise 24.8% in Q3 2026 across key sectors

By Sophie Lindqvist

North American companies ordered 10,989 robots valued at $723.5 million in the third quarter of 2026, a 24.8% increase in units from a year earlier. The Association for Advancing Automation (A3) reported the quarterly figures from Ann Arbor, Michigan.

That opening figure measures orders, not installations or production output. The data cover purchases booked by North American companies, but A3 did not identify receiving plants, supplier companies or specific vehicle programs. The totals therefore cannot establish added plant capacity or show that a supplier has begun production.

Which sectors drove the increase?

Among the categories A3 quantified, semiconductor and electronics orders grew 97.6% from a year earlier. Automotive component suppliers posted a 90.4% increase, while automotive OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) returned to positive year-over-year growth at 7.5%.

The split places the largest disclosed percentage gains outside vehicle manufacturers. It also shows renewed robot procurement within automotive supply chains, where component suppliers sit apart from the OEMs that assemble finished vehicles. A3 did not publish category unit counts or dollar values, so the percentages cannot establish which companies drove the purchases.

No OEM or supplier names accompanied the figures, and A3 did not divide automotive component suppliers into tiers of the automotive supply chain. The report also did not break out semiconductor activity from broader electronics demand. Those omissions limit direct comparison with named automotive production programs.

How significant were collaborative robots?

Companies ordered 1,831 collaborative robots (cobots) during the quarter, approximately 56% more than in Q3 2025. Cobots accounted for 16.7% of all robot units ordered, roughly one in every six purchases.

A3 did not disclose vendor shares, models, prices or end uses for the 1,831 units. The figures confirm rising demand for the category, but they do not identify where the machines will work or what tasks they will perform.

What do the first nine months show?

Through the first nine months of 2026, North American companies ordered 28,984 robots worth approximately $1.89 billion. Units rose 9.6% and value rose 13.3% from the same period in 2025.

The year-to-date totals place the third-quarter increase within a broader period of growth. A3's report said: "The results suggest robot demand is broadening beyond automotive OEMs." Electronics, life sciences, plastics and metals also delivered strong growth.

A3 did not provide figures for life sciences, plastics or metals. It also did not separate replacement purchases from equipment intended for new facilities. Without those details, the report supports a conclusion about broader demand, not a quantified forecast for individual plants or suppliers.

What should manufacturers watch next?

Watch the next quarterly release for raw unit counts, since percentage gains alone do not reveal the scale of purchasing. Manufacturers should also look for evidence that reported orders have become installed systems linked to production milestones.

This report contains no launch date, named capacity expansion or policy decision attached to the orders. Such details would turn a sector-level purchasing statistic into evidence of manufacturing change. Until then, the 10,989 quarterly orders establish buyer intent, not realized capacity.