# A3 reports North American robot orders rise 24.8% in Q3 2026

Digest AI · Robotics & Physical AI · published 2026-10-28T18:59:30Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/a3-reports-north-american-robot-orders-rise-24-8-in-q3-2026

## Summary

North American companies ordered 10,989 robots worth $723.5 million in the third quarter of 2026, according to the Association for Advancing Automation (A3).  That represents a 24.8% increase in units and a 26.1% rise in value compared with Q3 2025, making the quarter the strongest of the year so far.  Over the first nine months, total orders reached 28,984 robots valued at roughly $1.89 billion, up 9.6% in units and 13.3% in value year‑over‑year.

Growth was broad‑based.  Automotive OEM orders returned to positive growth, up 7.5%, while component suppliers surged 90.4%.  Semiconductor and electronics/photonics orders jumped 97.6% in units, plastics and rubber 67.7%, life‑sciences/pharma/biomed 38.7%, and metals 37.0%.  By contrast, food and consumer‑goods orders fell 23.7%.  Collaborative (cobot) robots saw a 56% unit increase year‑over‑year, with 1,831 units ($63.8 million) in Q3, accounting for 16.7% of all units.  In the first nine months, cobots made up 15.9% of robot units and 9.4% of order value.

A3 linked the robot surge to a recovering manufacturing environment, noting a September ISM PMI of 54.5 and a 0.3% rise in U.S. manufacturing output.  Executive vice‑president Alex Shikany said the diversified growth signals a more varied robotics market across industries.

## Key points

- North American robot orders hit 10,989 units ($723.5 M) in Q3 2026, up 24.8% units and 26.1% value YoY
- Cobots grew about 56% in units YoY, making up 16.7% of Q3 orders and 15.9% of units in the first nine months
- Automotive component orders rose 90.4%; semiconductor/electronics orders jumped 97.6% units, while food/consumer goods fell 23.7%

## Why it matters

The surge shows accelerating automation across diverse sectors, indicating higher demand for robotics, supply‑chain investment and skilled labor, and could reshape North American manufacturing competitiveness.

## Sources

1. [North American robot orders climb 24.8% in Q3 of 2026, says A3](https://therobotreport.com/north-american-robot-orders-climb-24-8-q3-2026-says-a3) (The Robot Report, 2026-10-28)

## Cite

Digest AI, "A3 reports North American robot orders rise 24.8% in Q3 2026", 28 October 2026, https://digestai.news/story/a3-reports-north-american-robot-orders-rise-24-8-in-q3-2026

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