IDC: Global spending on robotics and drones to hit the US$100 billion hall mark in 2018

IDC forecasts that global spending on robotics and drones to total $103.1 billion in 2018, an increase of 22.1% in 2017. IDC is anticipating a more than double of these by 2021, a whooping sum of US$218.4 billion, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25.4 %.


Robotics spending will reach US$94 billion in 2018 and account for more than 90% of all spending throughout the 2017-2021 forecast. Industrial robotic solutions will account for the largest share of robotics spending (more than 70%), followed by service robots and consumer robots. Discrete and process manufacturing will be the leading industries for robotics spending at more than US$60 billion combined in 2018.

The resource and healthcare industries will also make significant investments in robotics solutions this year. The retail and wholesale industries will see the fastest robotics spending growth over the forecast with CAGRs of 46.3% and 41.2%, respectively. "Industrial robots are becoming more intelligent, human-friendly and easier to work with," said Jing Bing Zhang, research director, Robotics. "This has accelerated their rapid expansion in the manufacturing industry beyond automotive, especially in high-tech manufacturing that requires light-weight robots with higher precision, flexibility, mobility and collaborative capability. Vendors who are not able to meet such demands will see their market position quickly eroded." "Growth in the service robotics market is being driven by a collision of robotic technology maturity, market readiness, and related technology maturity," said John Santagate, research director, Service Robotics. "Robots did not reach this point overnight; it has been a decades-long effort to bring robots to the point they are today. Over time, innovators have been building upon existing technology and layering new and emerging technology onto robotic devices.

We have reached a point now where the mechanics of robots are mature and the addition of artificial intelligence, advanced vision systems, cloud applications, Internet of Things, and continued mechanical innovation has enabled safe, collaborative robots that are working with people rather than replacing people." "While robotics has its roots in the manufacturing sector, we continue to see increasing acceptance and adoption of robots in several other industries, such as resources and transportation," said Jessica Goepfert, program director, Customer Insights and Analysis. "Organizations in these areas are attracted to the promise of greater efficiency and productivity. But they are also turning to robotics to address other concerns such as skills shortages, workplace safety, and keeping up with the accelerating pace of business." Worldwide drone spending will be US$9 billion in 2018 and is expected to grow at a faster rate than the overall market with a five-year CAGR of 29.8%. Enterprise drone solutions will deliver more than half of all drone spending throughout the forecast period with the balance coming from consumer drone solutions. Enterprise drones will increase its share of overall spending with a five-year CAGR of 36.6%. The utilities and construction industries will see the largest drone spending in 2018 (US$912 million and US$824 million, respectively), followed by the process and discrete manufacturing industries. The fastest growth in drone spending will come from the education (74.1% CAGR) and state/local government (70.5% CAGR) industries. "Drones have become an indispensable tool, especially in industries such as oil and gas, agriculture, and telecommunications. In many instances, drones have helped reduce their employees' exposure to dangerous tasks such as cell tower or electrical grid inspection. Farmers have also utilized drones to help monitor their land for irrigation deficiencies.

While there is a growing number of consumer drone enthusiasts, we expect that drones will soon become part of the connected-home providing home security, monitoring children at play, or delivering groceries," said William Stofega, program director, Mobile Device Technology and Trends. "Drones have become a forefront solution for many tasks and applications that were once deemed too dangerous, dirty, dull, or dear. Technological advancements such as improved sensors, enhancements in collision avoidance systems, or innovations related to full automation or intelligent piloting, have propelled new interest and acknowledgement from many industries that drones are here to stay. Groundbreaking improvements in the technology has piqued interest by industries that operate in open or outdoor space, such as utilities, where inspection-related applications such as transformer substation inspection or power line, foliage, and telephone line inspection are key drivers of the industry.

As policies change and governments work with vendors and end users to formulate regulation allowances, new opportunities and expanded use cases will come to light as their benefits are realised across all industries," said Stacey Soohoo, research manager, Customer Insights and Analysis. China will be the largest geographic market for robotics, delivering more than 30% of all robotics spending throughout the forecast, followed by the rest of Asia Pacific (excluding China and Japan), the US, and Japan. The US will be the largest geographic market for drone spending at US$4.3 billion in 2018, followed by Western Europe, China, and the rest of Asia Pacific (excluding China and Japan). However, exceptionally strong spending growth in China (55.5% CAGR) and Asia Pacific (excluding China and Japan) (62% CAGR) will move these two markets ahead of Western Europe by 2021.