German Industry Leaders Urge Faster Adoption of Humanoid Robotics, Survey Shows
A new survey reveals that 82 percent of German industry decision-makers consider humanoid robots key drivers of future innovation in automation, and an equal share believe Germany should increase subsidies for their development in the same way China has. The findings come from the 2026 automatica Trend Index, which polled 100 German specialists and executives responsible for robotics and automation adoption in their companies.
“China has been consistently pursuing a national robotics strategy for years to systematically capitalize on the opportunities offered by modern automation,” said Patrick Schwarzkopf, Managing Director of the VDMA Robotics + Automation Association. “Beijing’s latest five-year plan places smart robotics at the very center of its development goals. Thus, they are ushering in a new era of humanoid robots with the goal of developing an embodied intelligence integrating AI software with physical robotics.”
Smart Robotics Seen as Crucial for Competitiveness
The survey also highlights that smart robotics is considered a pivotal field of innovation in Germany. 78 percent of respondents believe that deploying AI and robotics is indispensable for keeping German industry competitive. While 85 percent say humanoid robots already play an important role in industrial production, 68 percent of those surveyed are still operating pilot projects without large-scale adoption.
Exhibition Director Anja Schneider commented: “Humanoid robotics is a particularly striking example of physical AI as it presents AI in human-like form as it interacts with the physical world. We can already say that physical AI and humanoid robotics will be the key topics at automatica 2027.”
Germany’s Strong Foundation in Robotics
Germany is well placed to adopt these technologies thanks to its advanced production facilities. With 449 installed industrial robots per 10,000 employees, the country has one of the highest robot densities in the world, placing third behind South Korea and Singapore, according to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).
automatica 2027 is scheduled to take place at the Munich exhibition center from June 22 to 25, 2025.
The source for this article is https://www.roboticstomorrow.com/news/2026/06/26/german-economy-calls-for-faster-humanoid-robotics-adoption/26778/.