U.S. and Canadian businesses ordered nearly 9,000 robots during Q2 2026, a +4.3% year-over-year rise according to the Association for Advancing Automation (A3.) The 8,940 robots ordered during April-June were valued at $622 million, which is about 14.5% more than the value of all robots ordered during Q1 despite the number of units ordered falling by 115 robots (-1.3% fewer) than the January-March totals.

A3’s new report showed that during the first half of 2026 manufacturing businesses continued investing in automation equipment, “despite continued uncertainty across the broader economy.”

The Association further noted that Manufacturing PMI continued to expand during June, for a sixth consecutive month, with continuing growth in new orders and production volume. Federal Reserve data also showed manufacturing output 1.1% above its year-earlier level in June.

“While the timing of large Automotive OEM projects and broader economic conditions will continue to influence quarterly results, the first-half data suggests manufacturers continue to view automation as a long-term investment in competitiveness,” according to A3.

For the first half of 2026, A3 detailed that North American orders totaled 17,995 robots worth $1.166 billion, a 2.0% rise in units and 6.6% increase in order values versus January-June 2025.

“The first half of 2026 continued a trend that has been building over the past several quarters,” according to A3’s report. “Robotics demand is becoming increasingly diversified across industries. While automotive OEM orders declined 25% compared to the first half of 2025, growth in automotive component and several general industry sectors helped offset that decline.”

Collaborative robots continued to represent a significant portion of all automation investments during the first half of 2026. Businesses ordered 2,774 cobots with a total value of $114 million, accounting for 15.4% of all robot units ordered and 9.8% of total order revenue during January-June 2026.

During the second quarter of 2026, business ordered 1,137 collaborative robots with a total value of $44 million, representing 12.7% of total units orders and 7.1% of robot suppliers’ revenue.

Cobot adoption is notably strong in the Life Sciences / Pharma / Biomed and Semiconductors / Electronics / Photonics sectors. Collaborative robots accounted for 43.7% of January-June orders for the Life Sciences / Pharma / Biomed segment, and 36.5% of first-half robot orders for Semiconductors / Electronics / Photonics manufacturers.

“The first half of 2026 shows how the mix of the robotics market continues to evolve,” stated A3 executive vice president Alex Shikany. “Automotive remains an important driver of demand, while we’re also seeing growth across a wider range of industries. Results were not uniform across every sector, but the breadth of growth outside Automotive OEM is an important trend we’ll continue to watch.”