As per the latest The Insight Partners research report, "Pharmaceutical Robots Market to 2028 – Global Analysis and Forecast – by Product, Application, End User, and Geography," the market is projected to reach US$ 383.91 million by 2028 from US$ 159.23 million in 2021; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 13.4% during 2021–2028. The market growth is mainly attributed to benefits offered by robots in pharmaceutical manufacturing, growing awareness of robotic systems in manufacturing process, increasing investments in pharmaceutical research and development. 

Traditional Robots Held the Largest Share by Product Segment in Pharmaceutical Robots Market During 2021–2028

In 2020, North America dominated the global pharmaceutical robots market. The growth of the market is majorly defined by the rise of robot density in overall industrial applications in the US. For instance, according to the International Federation of Robotics, robot density in the United States increased significantly to 189 robots in 2016 making it seventh largest in the world. Moreover, high growth of pharmaceutical industry and availability of technologically advanced facilities in the region of research, and development are also likely to augment the Pharmaceutical Robots Market growth of the region. Also, strategic activities by the manufactures will further offer lucrative opportunities in the review period. For instance, in Mar 2021, Yaskawa Electric Corporation launched a new hybrid Yaskawa cobot-MOTOMAN HC10DTF for food and pharmaceutical industries. The MOTOMAN HC10DTF fulfils the stringent hygienic requirements of the food and pharmaceutical industry pursuant to ISO Class 5 or EG-GMP Class A.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the socio-economic conditions of various countries across the world. As the epidemic has become a global pandemic, AI tools and technologies can be used to support policymakers, the medical community, and society to manage every stage of the crisis and its aftermath: detection, prevention, response, recovery, and acceleration of research. Artificial intelligence plays a crucial role in preventing the Covid-19 pandemic. In August 2020, the National Institutes of Health launched the Medical Imaging and Data Resource Center (MIDRC) to use artificial intelligence in medical imaging to fight COVID-19. The collaboration was headed by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), part of NIH, which will develop new methods that physicians can use for early discovery and personalized therapies for COVID-19 patients. Covid-19 has tremendously increased awareness of the benefits of automation within the pharmaceutical industry. In this pandemic, it is important to increase pharmaceutical production without compromising quality and safety. Flexible, modular automation enables pharmaceutical companies to increase production safely and to build lines faster and in a more scalable way. As per the Robotic Industries Association (RIA), a group focused on the robotics industry, orders for robots from the North American life sciences companies increased by 69% in 2020 compared to 2019.

Benefits Offered by Robots in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Fuels Pharmaceutical Robots Market Growth

In recent years, there have been considerable developments in the field of robotics. Robotics offers automation in various pharmaceutical manufacturing processes, such as filling, packaging, and inspection. A few benefits of automation in pharmaceutical manufacturing are improving efficiency in manufacturing, decreasing labor cost, reducing time used for training labors, protecting employees from a hazardous environment, and eliminating the chances of human errors and human contamination. Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm (SCARA) robots are used for common pick and place operations. Delta robots are also preferred for high-speed picking and packaging. Parallel robots are used for dispensing, kit assembly, sorting, and light machine tending applications. The pharmaceutical industry has realized the potential of robots for diverse applications in the manufacturing process. Merck employed a FANUC M-1iA delta robot on a bottling line, which places dispenser caps onto bottled allergy medications. FANUC M16iB is also used by laboratories for processing vials. Robots have the potential to handle 10 vials at a time, which increases the speed of production and thereby reduces manufacturing time.  For instance, AiRO Digital Labs, a startup established in the US, offers pharmacovigilance automation and ensures that all manufacturing processes are managed in real-time with quality. Pharmaceutical company benefits from robotic process automation (RPA) because it assists management in formulating strategies in real-time based on consumption trends and other regulatory changes. Moreover, another Indian startup, SensoVision offers inspection process automation options in pharmaceutical manufacturing. With the support of cameras on the production line, QualViz processes the information through deep learning and computer vision. As a result, this approach assures that the color, size, and form of each pill on the production line are checked. Thus, the use of robots in the pharmaceutical industry helps improve the overall product quality and speeds up the entire process of production, which enables the industry to meet the ever-growing demand for new drugs. Hence, the benefits offered by robots in the pharmaceutical industry drive the growth of the global pharmaceutical robots market.

Pharmaceutical Robots Market: Segmental Overview

The pharmaceutical robots market, by product, is segmented into collaborative pharmaceutical robots and traditional robots. In 2021, the traditional segment is likely to hold the largest share of the market, by product. However, the collaborative robots segment is expected to grow at the fastest rate during the forecast period as collaborative robots are lighter in weight, mobile in nature and are ideal for laboratories and manufacturing sites with limited workspace. Based on application, the pharmaceutical robots market has been segmented into inspection of pharmaceutical drugs, laboratory applications, and picking and packaging. In 2021, the picking and packing segment is likely to hold the largest share of the market, by application. In addition, the inspection of pharmaceutical drugs segment is also expected to grow at the fastest rate during the coming years owing to the advantages it offers. Based on end user, the pharmaceutical robots market is segmented into pharmaceutical companies, research laboratories, and contract research organizations. In 2021, the pharmaceutical companies segment is likely to hold the largest share of the market, by end user. In addition, the research laboratories segment is also expected to grow at the fastest rate during the coming years owing to increasing adoption of robotics in research activities

Pharmaceutical Robots Market: Competition Landscape and Key Developments

ABB Ltd., Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., Yaskawa Electric Corporation, Universal Robots A/S, Marchesini Group S.p.A, Denso Corporation, Fanuc Corporation, Espon India Pvt. Ltd., Shibuya Corporation, and Weiss GmbH are among the key companies operating in the pharmaceutical robots market. Leading market players are focusing on the launch of new products, expansion and diversification of Pharmaceutical Robots Market presence, and acquisition of new customer base, thereby tapping prevailing business opportunities.

In March 2021, Yaskawa Electric Corporation launched a new hybrid Yaskawa cobot-MOTOMAN HC10DTF for food and pharmaceutical industries. The MOTOMAN HC10DTF fulfils the stringent hygienic requirements of the food and pharmaceutical industry pursuant to ISO Class 5 or EG-GMP Class A. 

In May 2019, FANUC CORPORATION is pleased to announce the construction of a new factory for ROBONANO. The existing ROBONANO factories (two buildings) will be combined and shall be replaced by the new factory. The new factory will enhance production of the ROBONANO for turning, which is a new addition to the lineup of the current ROBONANO for machining.

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