According to the World Robotics Report 2017 performed by the International Federation of Robotics, the number of industrial robots in the world is expected to grow to about 3 million by 2020.
In China, there will be about 950,000 robots, and approximately 612,000 in Europe. About 1.9 million robots will be in operation in the entire Asia region, which equals the number of robots used worldwide in 2016.
Currently (at the end of 2016), China, South Korea, Japan, the US and Germany account for 74% of the total industrial robot market. The Czech Republic is in 15th place.
Linking human power working in factories with virtual reality, the so-called Industry 4.0, will play a more and more important role globally. Industrial companies will continue integrating robots into their networks of machines and systems.
Analysts predict a rapid growth of the market with cloud robotic solutions which will allow data to be compared between robots regardless of their physical location. These connected robots will then be able to perform the same operations using optimized speed, power, etc. Thanks to the increasing use of big data in manufacturing, the boundaries between factory equipment makers and factories themselves will disappear.
Some industrial robot manufacturers are already considering robot leasing which will accelerate the use of robots in small and medium businesses. Easier and more flexible ways of using industrial robots is a clear trend too.
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