Robots Rumble: AI Sparks Mega-Mergers, Collab Bots Crush It

This is you Robotics Industry Insider: AI & Automation News podcast.

Industrial automation and robotics continue to reshape the global manufacturing landscape, fueled by innovative breakthroughs, strategic partnerships, and unprecedented demand for greater efficiency. As the world anticipates the unveiling of next-generation technologies at events like PACK EXPO 2025 in Las Vegas, robotics insiders are watching closely as intelligent logistics robots and compact drive solutions set new benchmarks for round-the-clock reliability and operational flexibility, highlighting the field’s relentless drive toward smarter automation. According to Straits Research, the industrial automation market is on a remarkable growth trajectory, valued at over 209 billion dollars in 2025 and projected to surpass 420 billion dollars by 2033, driven by a compound annual growth rate of over nine percent. This momentum is powered by the integration of artificial intelligence, edge computing, and the Internet of Things, particularly in sectors like manufacturing, food processing, and healthcare, where automated diagnostics and robotic surgery are revolutionizing workflows.

The sheer scale of automation’s advance is also underscored by the International Federation of Robotics, which reports that the number of industrial robots installed worldwide more than doubled over the past decade, with 542,000 new installations in 2024 alone. Asia dominates this surge, accounting for nearly three-quarters of all new robots, with China standing out as the clear leader. In North America, the collaborative robot segment is thriving, and the U.S. is witnessing a marked rise in domestic robot fleets. A prime example is Formic, a full-service robotics provider, which just surpassed 400,000 production hours across its fleet, delivering an “easy button” for manufacturers combating labor shortages and production bottlenecks. At PACK EXPO, Formic is debuting new zero-capital-expenditure solutions, helping clients automate ergonomically demanding processes quickly and with minimal upfront investment.

From a technical standpoint, advanced robot vision, AI-powered programming via imitation learning, and smarter indoor positioning tools are dramatically cutting deployment and commissioning times, making automation more accessible and scalable. Meanwhile, the competitive landscape is evolving through mergers, investments, and expanded partnerships, as seen with ABB Robotics’ move to accelerate robot vision AI and the ARM Institute’s ongoing commitment to workforce development in U.S. manufacturing.

For business leaders and practitioners, the practical takeaway centers on the urgency to explore full-service automation models, assess opportunities for AI-driven process optimization, and invest in technologies that build resilience amid ongoing labor market volatility. Looking ahead, listeners can expect to see collaborative robots and AI systems achieving deeper integration, with data-driven automation paving the way for smart factories worldwide.

Thanks for tuning in to this week’s industry briefing. Be sure to come back next week for more insights into robotics and automation. This has been a Quiet Please production—learn more at Quiet Please Dot A I.


For more http://www.quietplease.ai

Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Industrial automation and robotics continue to reshape the global manufacturing landscape,
fueled by innovative breakthroughs, strategic partnerships, and unprecedented demand for
greater efficiency. As the world anticipates the unveiling of next
generation technologies at events like pack Expo twenty twenty five
in Las Vegas, robotics insiders are watching closely as intelligent logistics,

(00:22):
robots and compact drive solutions set new benchmarks for round
the clock reliability and operational flexibility, highlighting the field's relentless
drive towards smarter automation. According to Strait's research, the industrial
automation market is on a remarkable growth trajectory, valued at
over two hundred nine billion dollars in twenty twenty five

(00:43):
and rejected to surpass four hundred and twenty billion dollars
by twenty thirty three, driven by a compound annual growth
rate of over nine percent. This momentum is powered by
the integration of artificial intelligence, edge computing, and the Internet
of Things, particularly in sectors like manufacturing, food processing, and healthcare,
where automated diagnostics and robotic surgery are revolutionizing workflows. The

(01:08):
sheer scale of Automation's advance is also underscored by the
International Federation of Robotics, which reports that the number of
industrial robots installed worldwide more than doubled over the past decade,
with five hundred and forty two thousand new installations in
twenty twenty four alone. Asia dominates this surge, accounting for
nearly three quarters of all new robots, with China standing

(01:30):
out as the clear leader. In North America, the collaborative
robots segment is thriving, and the US is witnessing a
marked rise in domestic robot fleets. A prime example is Fornick,
a full service robotics provider, which just surpassed four hundred
thousand production hours across its fleet, delivering an easy button
for manufacturers combating labor shortages and production bottlenecks At pacx

(01:54):
bo Formick is debuting new zero capital expenditure solutions, helping
clients autumn ergonomically demanding processes quickly and with minimal upfront investment.
From a technical standpoint, advanced robot vision, AI, powered programming
via imitation learning, and smarter indoor positioning tools are dramatically

(02:15):
cutting deployment and commissioning times, making automation more accessible and scalable. Meanwhile,
the competitive landscape is evolving through mergers, investments, and expanded partnerships,
as seen with ABB Robotics move to accelerate robot Vision AI,
and the ARM Institute's ongoing commitment to workforce development in

(02:36):
US manufacturing. For business leaders and practitioners, the practical takeaway
centers on the urgency to explore full service automation models,
assess opportunities for AI driven process optimization, and invest in
technologies that build resilience amid ongoing labor market volatility. Looking ahead,

(02:57):
listeners can expect to see collaborative robots in AI systems
achieving deeper integration with data driven automation, paving the way
for smart factories worldwide. Thanks for tuning in to this
week's industry briefing. Be sure to come back next week
for more insights into robotics and automation. This has been
a quiet Please production. Learn more at Quietplease dot ai