Despite challenges, Japan’s industrial robots hit record high in 2022, with YoY growth

On January 27, the Japan Robot Association (JARA) announced the amount of orders and production of Japanese industrial robots by its member companies for the October-December period of 2022.

Orders fell 4.3% year-on-year (YoY) to 221 billion yen, the first YoY decline in two quarters.

Production increased 3.4% YoY to 218.3 billion yen, marking the ninth consecutive quarter of YoY growth.

Shipments increased 5.5% YoY to 227.5 billion yen, and total shipments increased 4.9% YoY to 64,417 units. This was the ninth consecutive quarter of YoY growth in both value and volume, surpassing the previous quarter’s record quarterly highs. Domestic shipments to the semiconductor industry were strong, offset by declining shipments mainly to the automotive industry.

Exports increased 9.0% YoY to 181.1 billion yen, and the number of units exported increased 4.3% YoY to 53,171. Both the value and volume of exports increased, although there were still declines in exports for assembly and to China.

Annual orders (members only) for the period January-December 2022 increased 1.6% YoY to 955.8 billion yen, and annual production (members only) increased 5.6% YoY to 879.2 billion yen. Both figures exceeded those of the same period of the previous year and reached a record high.

Total annual orders received by members and non-members are expected to increase 2.9% YoY to 1.11 trillion yen, while production value is expected to increase 5.5% YoY to 991 billion yen. Details will be announced in May.

In 2022, the demand for industrial robots will recover and expand despite China’s sluggish growth and risks such as the pandemic and geopolitical tensions. On the other hand, the momentum is slowing down toward the end of the year, which does not give cause for optimism.