Overview

• Industry association VDMA Robotik + Automation links the downturn to fluctuating US import duties that have disrupted buyer planning and cost pass-through.
• Assembly systems, the sector’s largest segment, are projected to drop 15 percent to €7.7 billion with no rebound expected next year.
• Core robotics divisions are set to decline 5 percent to €3.7 billion while image-processing revenues hold at €3.1 billion and are forecast to grow afterward.
• Leaders warn that tariff-driven uncertainty has eroded German firms’ edge against lower-cost Asian competitors.
• The automatica trade fair in Munich, expected to host about 780 exhibitors and 40,000 visitors, is viewed as a potential catalyst for new orders and partnerships.