A3 says North American robot orders rose 24.8% in Q3 2026 to 10,989 units

What A3 reported

The Association for Advancing Automation said on 28 October 2026 that North American companies ordered 10,989 robots valued at $723.5 million in the third quarter of 2026. That is 24.8% more units and 26.1% more value than in the third quarter of 2025, and the strongest quarter of the year so far.

For the first nine months, orders reached 28,984 robots worth about $1.89 billion, up 9.6% in units and 13.3% in value. The gap between the quarter and the year to date shows how weak the first half was, especially for carmakers.

Which industries are buying

Automotive OEM orders returned to growth after declining in the first half, rising 7.5% in the quarter. They are still 17% below last year for the first nine months. Automotive component suppliers kept buying, with orders up 90.4%. The fastest growth came from semiconductors, electronics and photonics, up 97.6% in units, followed by life sciences, pharma and biomedical at 38.7%. All other industries were flat at 0.5%, and food and consumer goods fell 23.7%.

A3 links the electronics jump to continued investment in US chip manufacturing and to demand for electronics that support AI, and the life sciences gain to domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing. Executive vice president Alex Shikany says what stands out is "how broadly it was distributed across the market".

Collaborative robots, which work near people without full guarding, had a strong quarter: 1,831 units worth $63.8 million, up about 56% in units. They made up 16.7% of all units ordered. Through September, cobots were 43.8% of orders in life sciences and 36.9% in semiconductors and electronics.

What changed and why it matters

Most robotics headlines this year have been about humanoids, such as Agility's Digit at GXO. A3's numbers measure the much larger market of conventional industrial and collaborative arms, and they show demand shifting away from car assembly plants toward chips, electronics and drug making. The rise in cobots fits that shift: those sectors use smaller, flexible cells rather than long fixed lines.

The data counts orders, not installations or revenue, and A3 does not publish the share of robots that use AI-based perception or planning. The detailed breakdown and charts are available to press on request and to A3 members, not on the public page.

What to watch next

A3 notes that the September ISM Manufacturing PMI was 54.5, a ninth month of expansion, but names input costs, trade uncertainty and the timing of large projects as risks. The fourth-quarter and full-year 2026 figures are the next test of whether car makers keep recovering. More factory automation news is under Robotics & Physical AI.

Questions people ask

How many robots were ordered in North America in Q3 2026?

10,989 robots valued at $723.5 million, according to A3. That is 24.8% more units than in the third quarter of 2025.

Which industry grew fastest?

Semiconductors, electronics and photonics, with robot orders up 97.6% in units. Automotive components followed at 90.4%.

How did collaborative robots do?

A3 counted 1,831 cobots worth $63.8 million in the quarter, up about 56% in units and 16.7% of all robots ordered.

Sources

1. North American Robot Orders Increase 24.8% in Third Quarter of 2026 (Association for Advancing Automation, 28 Oct 2026)