Manufacturing automation is gaining speed around the world from year to year. This can be deduced from the robot density that is calculated and published at regular intervals by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). According to the latest IFR figures, the global average in the manufacturing industry is at 74 robot units per 10,000 employees. In 2015 the figure was at 66 units.

According to the IFR, the five most automated countries are South Korea, Singapore, Germany, Japan, and Sweden, in that order. They are followed by Denmark, the USA, Italy, Belgium, and Taiwan. Currently, China has fastest growing robotics industry, which is still at number 23 in terms of robot density.

By 2020 there will be more than 1.7 million industrial robots installed in factories around the world according to an IFR prognosis. In Germany, the sector is anticipating an annual growth of five percent.

The top 10 robot manufacturers – almost all of which exhibit at HANNOVER MESSE – are dominated by Japanese companies. However, KUKA, a German-Chinese company is among them. KUKA has its headquarters in Hall 17, along with Yaskawa and Yamaha. The world market leading in grippers, Schunk, can also be found here.

Other big names in robotics such as ABB and Kawasaki are setting up their company stands in Hall 11. The concentration of industrial robots, cobots, automated systems, and drones is also increasing each year throughout the remainder of the trade show grounds and in presentations in the expert forums.

"Many companies that used to exhibit in Hannover every two years, are now appearing every year," says Arno Reich, Global Director IAMD. "The proximity of industrial users that only HANNOVER MESSE has to offer has made this event indispensable to the international robotics sector."

The focal point for robotics at the trade show is in Hall 17, where mobile systems along with intelligent cameras, image processing systems, and other innovative solutions can be found in action at the Application Park Robotics, Automation & Vision and other places.

However, the most important industry prize, the ROBOTICS AWARD 2018 , will be presented in Hall 14: On April 24 at 3:30 pm the most innovative robotics application of the year will be crowned. A prominently cast panel discussion on robotics will also be held here on Tuesday during the trade show week (12:30 to 1:15 p.m.). Every day innovations in robotics will be presented at the Automation forum, including cloud providers such as Trend Micro, cobot pioneer Rethink Robotics, and exoskeleton manufacturer German Bionic Systems.