The global average for industrial robots per 10,000 workers increased to 74 robots in 2016 from 66 robots in 2015, a 12 percent increase, writes John Wu in Innovation Files.

Fact of the Week: There Were 74 Industrial Robots per 10,000 Workers Globally in 2016, up From 66 in 2015, a 12 Percent Increase

A study of 15 manufacturing industries across 18 European nations from 2011 to 2019 found that a 10 percent increase in robot density resulted in a 0.07 percent reduction in fatalities and a 1.96 percent decrease in injuries.

Fact of the Week: A 10 Percent Increase in Robot Density in Manufacturing Sectors Results in a 2 Percent Decrease in Injuries

A 1-percent increase in robot adoption is associated with an increase of 0.03 percentage points in patent applications among Chinese manufacturers.

Fact of the Week: An Increase in Robot Adoption Is Associated With an Increase in Patent Applications Among Chinese Manufacturers

A new study finds the U.S. share of global manufacturing will fall to 11 percent by 2030, while China’s will increase to 45 percent.

Fact of the Week: A New Study Finds the US Share of Global Manufacturing Will Fall to 11 Percent by 2030

From 2000 to 2016 new robot adoption grew by roughly 70 percent in North America and Europe, whereas it grew more than 300 percent in the rest of the world.

Fact of the Week: Developing Countries Are Leading Global Growth in Robot Adoption

From 2005 to 2016, economists Jon Chung and Yong Suk Lee found that, while robots initially led to lower employment and wages for affected workers, that trend reversed as firms and workers adjusted to the broader adoption of robots in production.

Fact of the Week: Each Industrial Robot Installed in Recent Years Created Between 13 and 16 Jobs

A study found that countries with the highest robot density will see accelerated economic growth from robot adoption and will also see heightened robot accumulation in the future.

Fact of the Week: Robot Adoption Leads to Economic Growth in Highly Productive Nations

The automation of manufacturing industries is a major public concern due to the salience of layoffs that are directly attributed to robot adoption. But closer analysis of automation’s impacts generally reveals that these fears are overblown.

Fact of the Week: Increasing Industrial Robot Adoption Between 2000 and 2014 Increased Employment by 5 Percent and Value Added by 12 Percent

Industrial robot concentration is especially high in Michigan, where 39.5 percent of manufacturing employees had exposure to them in 2019.

Fact of the Week: China Surpassed the United States in Industrial Robot Density in 2021

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Fact of the Week: There Were 74 Industrial Robots per 10,000 Workers Globally in 2016, up From 66 in 2015, a 12 Percent Increase

Fact of the Week: A 10 Percent Increase in Robot Density in Manufacturing Sectors Results in a 2 Percent Decrease in Injuries

Fact of the Week: An Increase in Robot Adoption Is Associated With an Increase in Patent Applications Among Chinese Manufacturers