Rapid Growth of the Collaborative Robot (Cobot) Market by 2025: A New Paradigm in Manufacturing Automation
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Explosive Growth of the Collaborative Robot Market and Industrial Transformation
As of December 2025, the global collaborative robot (Cobot) market is showing unprecedented growth momentum, establishing itself as the new standard in manufacturing automation. According to the latest report by market research firm MarketsandMarkets, the collaborative robot market size is projected to grow from approximately $1.8 billion in 2025 to about $9.5 billion by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 44.5%. This figure significantly surpasses the growth rate of the traditional industrial robot market, which is 8.7%, indicating that collaborative robots are emerging as a game changer in manufacturing automation. Notably, the Asia-Pacific region is growing into the largest market, accounting for 42% of the total market, with South Korea, China, and Japan leading this growth.
The rapid growth of collaborative robots is driven by the perfect synergy between technological innovation and market needs. Overcoming the limitations of traditional industrial robots that had to operate within safety fences, collaborative robots can safely collaborate in the same workspace as humans through advanced sensor technology and AI algorithms. For instance, the latest UR20 model developed by Universal Robots, headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, fully complies with ISO 10218 and ISO/TS 15066 safety standards even with a payload of 20kg, and implements a safety feature that stops within 0.4 seconds upon collision detection. Such technological advancements have enabled manufacturers to adopt automation without significantly overhauling existing production lines, greatly enhancing accessibility for small and medium-sized enterprises.
The adoption status of collaborative robots in the Korean market is particularly noteworthy. According to data released by the Korea Association of Robot Industry (KAR) for the third quarter of 2025, the number of collaborative robot installations in Korea increased by 67% year-on-year to 8,400 units, significantly surpassing the overall industrial robot installation growth rate of 23%. Adoption is particularly active in the automotive parts, electronics assembly, and food packaging sectors, with the average return on investment (ROI) reduced to 1.8 years, sparking increased interest from small and medium-sized enterprises. Doosan Robotics, a domestic collaborative robot manufacturer, recorded a 89% increase in sales in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year, amounting to 124.7 billion won, with an overseas export ratio of 73%, proving its global competitiveness.
The competitive landscape of the global collaborative robot market is marked by fierce competition over technology and market share. While Denmark’s Universal Robots maintains its lead with a market share of about 32%, traditional industrial robot giants such as ABB from Zurich, Switzerland, KUKA from Augsburg, Germany, and FANUC from Oshino, Japan, are entering the collaborative robot market, intensifying competition. ABB’s GoFa series achieves a balance between productivity and safety with a speed of up to 2.2m/s at a 5kg payload, while FANUC’s CRX series enhances compatibility with existing FANUC robots, encouraging upgrades among existing customers. Korean companies are also making a mark in this competition, with Rainbow Robotics achieving a 23% domestic market share with its self-developed RB series, and Hyundai Robotics developing automotive industry-specific solutions based on Hyundai Motor Group’s production expertise.
The technological evolution of collaborative robots extends beyond simple hardware improvements to the integration of software and AI. The latest collaborative robots can learn and optimize repetitive tasks through machine learning algorithms and perform complex assembly tasks through integration with vision systems. Universal Robots’ PolyScope X programming platform allows robots to be programmed using a drag-and-drop method without coding knowledge, which is a significant advantage for small and medium-sized enterprises struggling with a shortage of technicians. Additionally, cloud-based monitoring systems enable remote robot status checks and preventive maintenance, potentially reducing operating costs by 15-20% annually.
Use cases of collaborative robots in the automotive industry are particularly impressive. At Volkswagen’s Wolfsburg plant in Germany, 450 collaborative robots have been introduced for door panel assembly and interior installation since the end of 2024, improving productivity by 27% and reducing musculoskeletal disorders among workers by 40%. In Korea, Hyundai Motor’s Asan plant is investing a total of 85 billion won by 2025 to build a smart factory utilizing collaborative robots, particularly establishing a hybrid production line where collaborative robots and workers collaborate in the battery pack assembly process. In this line, collaborative robots accurately place heavy battery modules, while workers perform precise connection tasks, simultaneously enhancing quality and efficiency.
The adoption of collaborative robots in the electronics manufacturing sector is also accelerating. Samsung Electronics has added approximately 200 collaborative robots to its smartphone assembly line in the first half of 2025, establishing a network of 800 collaborative robots. These robots perform component assembly with a precision of 0.02mm, reducing defect rates by 35% and increasing production speed by 22% compared to previous methods. During unmanned night production hours, collaborative robots handle 78% of the entire assembly process, efficiently operating a 24-hour continuous production system. LG Electronics is also building a flexible production system using collaborative robots on its home appliance production line, developing a modular production line that can adjust robot placement in real-time according to product-specific production volume fluctuations.
Market Segmentation and Growth Trends by Application
Analyzing the segmentation of the collaborative robot market, lightweight models with a payload of 5kg or less account for 47% of the total market, the largest share. This is attributed to high demand in precision tasks such as electronics assembly, packaging, and inspection. Models with a payload of 5-10kg account for 31%, and those with a payload of over 10kg account for 22%, with recent surges in demand for high-performance models supporting 20-25kg payloads. By application, assembly tasks account for the largest share at 38%, followed by pick-and-place (23%), welding (15%), inspection (12%), packaging (8%), and others (4%). Notably, the welding sector has the highest growth rate at 52% annually, driven by a shortage of skilled welders and increasing demands for improved working conditions.
The use of collaborative robots in the food and beverage industry is also showing notable growth. Danish Crown, a major Danish food company, has introduced 80 collaborative robots in its pork processing plants since 2024 for packaging and quality inspection tasks, enhancing food safety and reducing labor costs by 23% annually. In Korea, CJ CheilJedang is investing a total of 42 billion won over three years from 2024 to build a smart factory using collaborative robots, particularly securing technology for stable operation in ultra-low temperature environments of -18 degrees Celsius on frozen food packaging lines. These robots can package 180 products per minute, demonstrating 2.3 times improved productivity compared to manual labor.
The role of collaborative robots is expanding in the medical device manufacturing sector as well. Swiss medical device manufacturer Synthes has introduced collaborative robots in its artificial joint manufacturing process, performing machining tasks with a precision of 0.01mm and achieving 100% compliance with quality standards for FDA approval. In Korea, bio-medical device specialists are building aseptic environment production lines using collaborative robots, with collaborative robots playing a key role in the production of diagnostic kits, which surged after COVID-19. Seegene, a Korean company, has deployed 25 collaborative robots in its PCR test kit production line, expanding daily production capacity from 50,000 to 120,000 units and reducing cross-contamination risks by 99.8%.
The introduction of collaborative robots in logistics and warehouse automation is also accelerating. Amazon is gradually introducing a collaborative robot-based automatic packaging system in its global distribution centers from 2025, improving packaging speed by 65% compared to previous methods. In Korea, Coupang has introduced 150 collaborative robots in its Gimpo logistics center, establishing a 24-hour unmanned sorting system, reducing order processing time by an average of 2.3 hours. During peak seasons like Black Friday and the year-end shopping season, collaborative robots handle 43% of the total logistics volume, providing stable service. CJ Logistics is also introducing collaborative robots in major logistics centers from the second half of 2025 to automate sorting and loading tasks, expecting to reduce musculoskeletal disorders among workers by 60% and improve work efficiency by 35%.
Technological Innovation and Future Prospects
The next-generation innovation in collaborative robot technology is emerging from integration with artificial intelligence. The latest collaborative robots can perform more intelligent and flexible tasks by integrating AI technologies such as computer vision, natural language processing, and reinforcement learning. The AI-based robot control system developed by Intrinsic Robotics, a startup in California, USA, can recognize voice commands from operators and adjust tasks in real-time, demonstrating the ability to autonomously respond to unexpected situations. This technological advancement is expanding the scope of collaborative robots from simple repetitive tasks to areas requiring complex decision-making, and is expected to be a new growth driver for the collaborative robot market within the next five years.
The advancement of 5G and edge computing technologies is also opening new possibilities for the collaborative robot industry. Based on ultra-low latency communication and real-time data processing capabilities, multiple collaborative robots can be connected through the cloud to implement collective intelligence. Siemens in Germany is promoting a ‘Digital Factory’ project to enable real-time collaboration between multiple factories by building a 5G-based collaborative robot network from 2025, realizing global production optimization. In Korea, SK Telecom and Samsung Electronics are collaborating to develop a 5G-based smart factory solution, with demonstration results showing a 40% improvement in production efficiency through real-time data sharing between collaborative robots.
Investment and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activities are also supporting the growth of the collaborative robot market. In the first half of 2025 alone, the total investment in global collaborative robot-related ventures reached $3.4 billion, a 78% increase compared to the same period last year. Notably, Teradyne’s acquisition of Universal Robots for $2.7 billion and subsequent continuous investment in technology development is strengthening its market dominance. In the Asia region, SoftBank Vision Fund has invested $120 million in Japanese collaborative robot startup Merged Reality, while Korea Investment Partners has additionally invested 30 billion won in Rainbow Robotics to support its overseas market expansion. Such large-scale investments are accelerating the rapid development and market expansion of collaborative robot technology.
However, there are still challenges to be addressed in the growth of the collaborative robot market. The biggest challenges are the global unification of safety standards and workforce retraining. Currently, different safety standards are applied in each country, causing difficulties for global companies in product development and marketing, and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) plans to establish unified safety standards by 2026 to address this issue. Additionally, to respond to job changes due to the introduction of collaborative robots, governments and companies are jointly operating retraining programs, with Germany investing 5 billion euros annually to enhance the digital capabilities of manufacturing workers as part of its ‘Industry 4.0’ policy. The Korean government also aims to train 30,000 professionals related to collaborative robots by 2030 through its ‘Robot Industry Development Strategy 2030’, expanding practice-oriented education programs linked with universities and companies.
The future outlook for the collaborative robot market is very positive. Market experts predict that by 2030, collaborative robots will account for 35% of the total industrial robot market, and as the boundaries with service robots become blurred, new market opportunities are expected to emerge. Megatrends such as population aging, labor shortages, and increasing demand for customized production will continuously support the growth of the collaborative robot market, and securing price competitiveness and improving ease of use through technological advancements are expected to accelerate market expansion among small and medium-sized enterprises. Particularly, Korea is in a favorable position to secure global leadership in the collaborative robot market based on its world-class manufacturing base and IT technology, and with active policy support from the government and innovative efforts from companies, it is highly likely to emerge as one of the world’s top three collaborative robot powerhouses by 2030.
