The Association for Advancing Automation (A3) reported that North American companies ordered 10,989 robots valued at $723.5 million in the third quarter of 2026, up 24.8% in units and 26.1% in value from the same quarter of 2025.
The quarter was the strongest of the year so far. Orders for the first nine months of 2026 totaled 28,984 robots valued at approximately $1.89 billion, increases of 9.6% in units and 13.3% in value over the same period last year.
Automotive OEM orders returned to year-over-year growth after declining in the first half of 2026, rising 7.5% in the third quarter. Automotive Component orders increased 90.4%; Semi & Electronics/Photonics orders rose 97.6% in units; Plastics & Rubber rose 67.7%; Life Sciences/Pharma/Biomed rose 38.7%; and Metals rose 37.0%. All Other Industries increased 0.5%, while Food & Consumer Goods declined 23.7%.
A3 said growth in Semi & Electronics/Photonics came amid continued investment in U.S. semiconductor manufacturing and strong demand for electronics supporting AI and other applications. It also cited continued investment in domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing. Through the first nine months of 2026, Automotive OEM orders remained 17% below their year-earlier level.
Collaborative robot orders reached 1,831 units valued at $63.8 million in the third quarter, an increase of approximately 56% in units compared with Q3 2025. They accounted for 16.7% of robot units ordered during the quarter. Through September, companies ordered 4,605 collaborative robots valued at approximately $178 million; these represented 15.9% of total robot units and 9.4% of order value.
Alex Shikany, Executive Vice President at A3, said: “What stands out in the third quarter is not simply the magnitude of the growth, but how broadly it was distributed across the market. Automotive OEM orders returned to positive growth, while Automotive Components and sectors such as semiconductors/electronics and life sciences posted significant gains. That broader mix is important because it points to a robotics market that is becoming increasingly diversified across industries and applications.”
The September ISM Manufacturing PMI registered 54.5, marking a ninth consecutive month of expansion, while Federal Reserve data showed manufacturing output increasing 0.3% in September. A3 said higher input costs, trade uncertainty and the timing of large manufacturing projects remain factors to watch. More detailed Q3 2026 market data and graphs are available upon request for press and through the A3 Vault for member companies.
