North American companies ordered 10,989 industrial robots in the third quarter of 2026, worth $723.5 million, according to the Association for Advancing Automation (A3). The gain was broad rather than concentrated in a single customer group, a pattern that suggests factory automation spending is spreading across industries as the year closes.
The Headline Numbers
Third-quarter orders rose 24.8% in units and 26.1% in value compared with the same quarter of 2025. Across the first nine months of the year, North American companies ordered 28,984 robots valued at about $1.89 billion. That is up 9.6% in units and 13.3% in value from the same period a year earlier. The figures were reported by Robotics & Automation News on November 2, based on A3's quarterly data.
These numbers matter because robot orders are one of the earliest signals of manufacturing investment. A company typically orders equipment before it installs it, so a sustained rise points to plans for future output rather than current production alone.
Where the Growth Came From
The strongest gains came from sectors that rely on precise, high-volume automation. Semiconductor and electronics orders, including photonics, rose 97.6% in units during the quarter. Automotive component orders rose 90.4%, plastics and rubber rose 67.7%, life sciences, pharmaceutical and biomedical orders rose 38.7%, and metals rose 37%.
Automotive original equipment manufacturers returned to growth, with units up 7.5% in the third quarter. However, they remain 17% below the prior year over the first nine months, so the recovery is recent and not yet a full reversal. Food and consumer goods was the weakest segment, with orders down 23.7%.
Collaborative Robots Gain Ground
Collaborative robots, designed to work alongside people without large safety cages, were one of the clearest success stories. A3 counted 1,831 cobot units ordered in the third quarter, valued at $63.8 million, with units up about 56%. Cobots made up 16.7% of all robot units ordered in the quarter, compared with 15.9% across the first nine months.
Across the nine-month period, cobot orders totalled 4,605 units worth roughly $178 million. Their share of order value was smaller than their share of units, at 9.4%, which suggests that cobots are typically less expensive than large industrial arms. That gap is important for small and mid-sized manufacturers, which often adopt cobots first because the upfront cost is lower.
Why It Matters
Alex Shikany, executive vice president at A3, pointed to "how broadly it was distributed across the market" as the key takeaway. In his reading, the market is becoming more diversified, with growth no longer limited to one industry. He also noted that automotive OEM orders returned to positive growth while components, semiconductors and electronics, and life sciences posted significant gains.
Investor activity is moving in the same direction. The WealthEngine AI funding tracker, updated on November 1, lists Foundry Robotics as raising a $100 million Series A on October 28, although it does not disclose the valuation. Capital flowing into robotics startups alongside rising orders from established manufacturers suggests confidence that automation demand will persist.
Still, orders are not the same as installations or revenue. A3's figures track North American demand, not shipments delivered to customers, and a single quarter can be affected by timing, budgets and large one-off purchases. Industry watchers will look for confirmation in the next quarterly report, and in whether automotive orders keep their recent momentum.
What to Watch
- Whether automotive OEM orders sustain the third-quarter return to growth.
- Whether the cobot share of units continues to rise from 16.7%.
- Whether food and consumer goods orders stabilise after a 23.7% decline.
- How the next A3 quarterly release compares with the strong Q3 figures.
