Türkiye ranks 14th globally in robotics market

ISTANBUL- Anadolu Agency

Türkiye has emerged as the world’s 14th largest market for industrial robots, with adoption expanding rapidly across sectors such as automotive and defense.

Rising labor costs and shorter investment payback periods are driving manufacturers to accelerate automation investments in their factories.

Gürsen Torum, head of ABB Türkiye’s Robotics Division Global Solutions Center, said that data from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) shows the global robotics market experienced sustainable growth between 2020 and 2024.

“In Türkiye, the increase has been even stronger than the global average,” Torum said.

“We see that the trend toward automation is triggered by several macro factors, one of which is labor. Robots are used in many different industries such as automotive, white goods, food and health care,” he said.

Robot automation fills the gap in human resources, while repetitive and challenging tasks are increasingly avoided by the younger generation, Torum noted.

“This is one of the macro dynamics behind the shift to automation,” he said.

Fatih Güngör, CEO of KUKA Türkiye and the Middle East, also pointed to IFR reports in assessing global developments and market dynamics.

“According to the report published in April 2025, more than 542,000 robots were sold worldwide in 2024. This is a very large figure. Ten years ago, sales stood at 221,000. So within a decade, the market has grown roughly 2.5 times,” he said.

Güngör noted that China, Germany, the United States, South Korea and Japan lead the sector globally, but emphasized Türkiye’s growing role.

“Türkiye is a country investing above the global average. Especially with post-COVID automotive investments, the Turkish market has been expanding faster than the global market. [A total of] 3,551 robots were sold in Türkiye in 2024, making it the 14th largest market in the world,” he added.