The Food Robotics Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.6% from 2021 to 2028 to reach USD 2.02 billion by 2028. The transformation of the F&B sector with the adoption of automated technologies and the rising demand for high-quality and ready-to-eat food is driving the food robotics market. The need for productivity and efficiency in the food processing activities such as palletizing, packaging, and grading to achieve food safety standards is a major factor supporting the demand for robotics in this sector.
The Impact of COVID-19 on the Food Robotics Market
The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has caused a widespread economic downturn. Several countries imposed strict lockdowns to contain the infection, leading to the shutdown of F&B processing plants and disruption of the F&B supply chain for a limited period. There has been a significant impact on the F&B supply chain due to the shortage of F&B products and essential items, panic buying of consumers across the globe, interruption of supply chains due to travel restrictions, and lack of availability of labor.
Major robot manufacturing companies worldwide reported a decline in revenue generation during the first and second quarters of 2020 due to decreased sales resulting from economic slowdown induced by lockdown and quarantine restrictions imposed by governments worldwide and a decline in the demand for automation for a few months. Despite qualifying as essential services during lockdowns in many countries, F&B companies suffered losses in some developing countries hit by the pandemic. These factors have negatively impacted the food robotics market worldwide, resulting in revenue loss during the first two quarters of 2020.
The complete ecosystem of the food & beverage sector, from raw material providers to food service & delivery companies, has been severely impacted by the pandemic. The industry is, however, expected to gain pace in 2021. Thus, the need to limit human contact for curbing the further spread of COVID-19 is projected to result in the implementation of robots across various end-user facilities globally.
The food robotics market study presents historical market data in terms of value (2019 and 2020), estimated current data (2021), and forecasts for 2028. The market is segmented based on type, payload, application, end use, and geography. The study also evaluates industry competitors and analyses the market at the country level.
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Growing adoption of digitalization across the F&B industry
Digitalization refers to optimizing business processes through new digital technologies like big data analytics, IT/OT convergence, digital twin, artificial intelligence, 3D printing, and automation technologies. IoT and AI are helping companies reach high levels of food safety, improve traceability, cut down waste, and reduce costs and risks across the various stages of food processing and packaging
In recent years, digitalization became a key enabler for automation, where AI propels operational productivity by boosting workforce productivity. Various regulations are governing the use of digitalization in the F&B industry. The USFDA’s policy—Food Safety Modernization Act mandates food organizations to update and modernize their approaches to the principles of HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) by using ERP systems. Using technology for the HACCP process and maintaining databases helps organizations with every step, monitoring their products with total visibility and ensuring compliance with food safety standards. At the same time, the potential use of 3D printing technology for testing and research, and development purposes is expected to boost its adoption for mass production.
Growing focus on efficient food packaging
According to the Robotic Industries Association and Association for Advancing Automation, orders of robotic systems by food and consumer goods manufacturers grew by 56% in 2020. Packaging is one of the more established robotic applications in the food industry. The uniform nature of products at the packing stage makes it simpler to automate than tasks earlier in the food supply chain. Tasks in agriculture and food manufacturing are harder to automate with robots, but producers are introducing them.
Automated food packaging promotes the protection and preservation of food that minimizes chances of contamination due to human contact and environmental-related factors. With the costs of raw materials and pressure from retailers rising, robots are becoming attractive options in the packaging sector. Almost a third of food processing operations and almost all food packaging operations use robotics technologies. In 2019, the number of companies using robotics ticked up to 90%. Nearly all manufacturers will likely be operating robotics somewhere on the plant floor in the next five years.
Key Findings in the Food Robotics Market Study:
During the forecast period, the collaborative robots segment to grow at the highest CAGR
Based on type, the food robotics market is segmented into articulated robots, delta & parallel robots, collaborative robots, cartesian robots, cylindrical robots, portal robots. The collaborative robots segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This segment's rapid growth is mainly attributed to the growing awareness regarding the role of working in humid greenhouses, from refrigerated rooms to tending hot ovens, relieving employees from repetitive tasks that can cause injury in unfavorable environments.
Companies worldwide are adopting collaborative robots due to their rapid technological advancements and greater affordability. For instance, Cascina Italia uses collaborative robots that efficiently process millions of eggs per day. This collaborative robot is manufactured by Universal Robots A/S and minimized human intervention from the strenuous process of preparing bulky packages for large-scale distribution. Moreover, it leverages fenceless operation, allowing the cobot to work side-by-side with employees in production lines.
The low payload segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period
Based on payload, the food robotics market is mainly segmented into high, low, and medium payload. The low payload segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This segment's rapid growth is mainly attributed to the specialty in pick-and-place, food handling, packaging and palletizing, sealing, labeling, and spraying, among others. Furthermore, it reduces cycle time and increases productivity.
The packaging & repacking segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period
Based on application, the food robotics market is mainly segmented into palletizing and depalletizing, packaging and repacking, pick and place, cutting and slicing, grading and sorting, butchery, quality inspection, other applications. The packaging and repacking segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This segment's rapid growth is mainly attributed to the high usage of packaging that speeds up cycle times and improves productivity.
The beverages segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period
Based on end use, the food robotics market is segmented into dairy, beverages, bakery & confectionery, meat, poultry, and seafood, fruits and vegetable, oil & fats, and other end users. The beverages segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This segment's high growth is attributed to the growing need to cater to consumer demand, maintain quality, consistency, and hygiene, and optimize production. As food and beverage operators demand ever greater precision and safety from their production operations, various robotic companies continue to develop cutting-edge solutions that reduce waste, boost profit, and enhance the safety of the food supply. Robots offer high control over the quality of the beverages through precise monitoring to ensure that the performance parameters of the machines are met.
Asia-Pacific to be the fastest-growing regional market
The high growth of the food robotics market in the Asia-Pacific region is attributed to the rising concerns regarding food hygiene and lifestyle that have directed the population towards ready-to-eat and packaged food items. The increase in consumer income has fueled the demand for advanced packaged food and beverages across the region. China leads the way for food adoption in Asia-Pacific.
Key Players
The key players operating in the food robotics market are ABB Ltd (Switzerland), Fanuc Corporation (Japan), Yaskawa Electric Corporation (Japan), Kuka AG(Germany), Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Japan), Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (Japan), Universal Robots A/S (Denmark), Stäubli International AG (Switzerland), Denso Corporation (Japan), Seiko Epson Corporation (Japan), Mayekawa Mfg. Co., Ltd. (Japan), Omron Corporation (Japan), and Autonox Robotics GmbH (Germany).
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Food Robotics Market, by Type
- Articulated Robots
- SCARA
- Six-Axis Robots
- Other Articulated Robots
- Delta & Parallel Robots
- Collaborative Robots
- Cartesian Robots
- Portal Robots
Food Robotics Market, by Payload
- Medium Payload
- Low Payload
- High Payload
Food Robotics Market, by Application
- Palletizing & Depalletizing
- Packaging & Repacking
- Pick-and-Place
- Cutting & Slicing
- Grading & Sorting
- Butchery
- Quality Inspection
- Other Applications
Food Robotics Market, by End Use
- Dairy
- Beverages
- Bakery & Confectionery
- Meat, Poultry, and Seafood
- Fruits and Vegetable
- Oil & Fats
- Other End Users
Food Robotics Market, by Geography
- Asia-Pacific (APAC)
- China
- Japan
- South Korea
- India
- Australia
- Taiwan
- Indonesia
- New Zealand
- Rest of Asia-Pacific (RoAPAC)
- Europe
- Germany
- U.K.
- France
- Spain
- Benelux
- Switzerland
- Italy
- Poland
- Austria
- Czech Republic
- Hungary
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Turkey
- Greece
- Rest of Europe (RoE)
- Latin America
- Mexico
- Brazil
- Argentina
- Rest of Latin America (RoLATAM)
- Middle East
- Africa
- South Africa
- Rest of Africa (RoAfrica)
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