According to the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), the sales volume in robotics and automation in Germany grew by 13% between 2016 and 2017 to a total of 14.5 million euros . Thus, according to Dr. Norbert Stein, CEO of VDMA Robotics + Automation , all previous expectations were exceeded: Since 2010, the average annual increase has been 10%. The association, which presented the figures at a press conference on June 5 , designates a major growth driver in the export sector through trade with China: This increased by a total of 60% between 2016 and 2017.

Even with its forecast for 2018, the VDMA paints a consistently confident image: Due to the increased focus of the automotive industry on the production of vehicles with hybrid and electric drives, the field of robotics and automation will be receiving further growth impulses, particularly through the establishment of new production capacities for batteries. Thus, the association expects a renewed, nine-percent growth rate for 2018 to a total sales volume of 15.8 million euros. The results are broadly similar to those of an IFR Study , which, however, focused on the study of the number of industrial robots used worldwide: For the time period between 2014 and 2020, the association forecasts that the inventory will be doubled.