The U.S. industrial robotics market returned to double-digit growth in 2025, with food manufacturing emerging as one of the strongest-performing sectors and reinforcing the growing role of automation in potato processing operations.

According to preliminary figures released by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), industrial robot installations in the United States increased by 11% year-on-year to 38,000 units in 2025. While the automotive industry remained the largest adopter, food manufacturing recorded one of the fastest growth rates, with robot installations rising by 30%.

“The United States are back on the growth track,” said Takayuki Ito, President of the IFR. “While automotive achieved its third-best result in seven years, the data highlights a growing demand for flexible automation in the food industry: Adoption in this sector surged by 30%, now ranking alongside metal and machinery and electrical-electronics, all with approximately 3,000 installations in 2025.”

The trend is particularly relevant for potato processors, where automation has become an increasingly important tool for addressing labor shortages, improving production efficiency, and maintaining consistent product quality. Across the industry, processors are investing in robotic palletizing and depalletizing systems, automated packaging equipment, machine vision technologies, autonomous mobile robots, and AI-driven inspection and handling systems.

The IFR noted that labor availability remains one of the key factors driving automation investments throughout North America. The organization expects continued growth as manufacturers seek to mitigate structural workforce shortages while supporting reshoring initiatives and expanding production capacity.

Despite the recent increase, the United States still trails several major manufacturing economies in overall automation levels. The country currently has a robot density of 307 industrial robots per 10,000 manufacturing employees, ranking eighth globally. By comparison, South Korea leads with 1,220 robots per 10,000 employees, followed by Germany with 449 and Japan with 446.

China continues to dominate the global robotics market by volume. According to IFR estimates, annual robot installations in China are approximately ten times higher than those in the United States. The country installed 295,000 industrial robots in 2024, accounting for 54% of the global market.

For the potato processing sector, the latest figures underscore a broader shift taking place across food manufacturing. As processors face increasing pressure to improve efficiency, reduce operating costs, and secure labor resources, robotics is moving from a competitive advantage to a core element of modern production strategies.

The outlook for automation investment remains positive. IFR expects long-term growth across North America as manufacturers continue to deploy robotic technologies beyond traditional automotive applications and into food production environments, where demand for flexibility, traceability, and operational efficiency continues to increase.