The global packaging robots market has experienced remarkable growth in recent years, and this upward trajectory is expected to continue throughout the next decade. According to Precedence Research, the market size for packaging robots reached a value of $5.6 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach approximately $15.73 billion by 2032, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.8% between 2023 and 2032.
This growth can be attributed to various factors that have long motivated packaging companies to adopt robotics. These include labor shortages, the need for enhanced productivity, the ability to achieve consistent product handling and repeatable quality, and the paramount importance of worker safety.
However, the magnitude of some of these driving factors, particularly workforce challenges, has been amplified due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, packaging operations were already facing significant obstacles related to labor shortages and rising wages. In the post-pandemic era, these challenges have escalated to crisis levels. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor & Statistics reveals that approximately 750,000 jobs in the manufacturing sector remain unfilled, despite historically low unemployment rates. Moreover, Deloitte Insights predicts that by 2030, the U.S. alone will have 2.1 million unfilled manufacturing jobs.
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States A3 – The Association for Advanced Automation, “The synergies between the industrial automation and manufacturing sectors have always been important to both, but the current labor crisis has intensified the sense of urgency and is a major driver of automation adoption.”
One obstacle for packaging companies considering the implementation of robotics remains the ongoing lack of skilled staff available on-site to program and operate the machinery. Robot OEMs are engineering new robotics systems that are increasingly more user-friendly and intuitive to program.
Furthermore, the advancement of Industry 4.0 has emerged as another influential force, accompanied by artificial intelligence (AI)-driven machine learning (ML) and intelligent vision technologies. These innovations are poised to enhance robot functionality significantly, making them easier to deploy and expanding the possibilities for robotic applications.
In Packaging World’'s 2023 Report on Robotics, we explore how these trends are shaping the development of new robotic equipment and software solutions. By highlighting a range of innovative systems that have been introduced over the past year, this report demonstrates the transformative impact of these technologies on packaging operations.
