La industrial automation in Spain It has gone from being a gamble to becoming an everyday reality in factories. According to a study by Reichelt Elektronik, an online distributor of electronics and IT, 78% of Spanish companies say they already use robots in some phase of their production processes, a figure that reflects the extent to which robotics has been integrated into the national industry.
Behind this boom lies not only the evolution of technology, but also the pressure to gain efficiency and competitiveness In an increasingly demanding global environment, artificial intelligence (AI), new sensors, and advanced software are significantly expanding what robots can do, and many companies are beginning to see this automation as a key tool for addressing the challenges. talent shortage and lack of skilled labor.
What types of robots are most commonly used in Spanish companies?
The study reveals that industrial robotics in Spain is quite diverse, but there are some categories that clearly stand out. The mobile robots They lead the adoption rankingThey are present in 39% of the companies surveyed, either as autonomous platforms that move around the plant or as mobile manipulators equipped with articulated arms capable of moving between different workstations.
Very close by are the stationary industrial robotsThese machines are used by 36% of companies for high-load tasks or highly repetitive work cycles. They are the classic machines of heavy automation, common in assembly lines, welding cells, cutting operations, or palletizing systems where robustness and repeatability are paramount.
The third major group consists of collaborative robots or cobots and other lightweight robotic armswith a 35% presence. These teams are characterized by their smaller size, their ability to work side-by-side with people and their flexibility to adapt to production changes, which makes them especially attractive for SMEs and environments where batches are short or series change frequently.
In contrast, Humanoid robots They remain a minority in the productive sector. They barely reach an adoption level of 5%, a figure that reflects that, for the moment, they are still emerging solutions with very limited deployment in real industrial environments, despite the growing interest in their future possibilities.
Priority for cobots and robotic arms over traditional systems
Beyond the current snapshot, the Reichelt Elektronik report points to a change in the preferences of Spanish companiesLooking ahead, 67% of organizations say they will prioritize the incorporation of lightweight robotic arms and cobots compared to traditional stationary robots, as they are considered more versatile and easier to integrate into their processes.
This trend is not solely explained by technical reasons. Although cost is an important factor—57% of companies indicate that price was decisive when choosing cobots—a large majority, 75%, believe that These collaborative robots offer capabilities that classic systems cannot match.especially in tasks that require direct interaction with people and frequent changes in production.
The role of cobots as a gateway to automation is another key finding of the study. According to the data collected, 53% of companies did not use any type of robotics before taking the leap with these collaborative solutions, which shows that they have served to democratize robotics among many small and medium-sized enterprises that until recently saw these investments as something unattainable.
Meanwhile, the perception of humanoid robots is changing, albeit gradually. Only 14% of companies plan to invest in these types of devices in the coming years, but a significant number are already assigning them potential roles. support workers in reducing physical strainModernizing processes and taking on repetitive or demanding tasks are some of the most frequently mentioned uses.
Investment plans and full automation horizon
The study also analyzes how the short-term robot purchase forecastsIn the next two years, 36% of companies plan to acquire or expand their fleet of mobile robots, 33% are considering adding new cobots or lightweight arms, and 32% are considering investing in more stationary robots to reinforce their existing production lines.
Humanoids, despite their limited current presence, are beginning to enter the investment radar: 14% of organizations are considering purchasing it in the medium term. Even so, the balance remains clearly tipped towards established solutions, which offer a more predictable return and less complex technical integration than humanoid platforms.
Regarding the level of automation achieved, the report indicates that 43% of Spanish companies delegate between 21% and 50% of their tasks to robotsIn other words, many factories are at an intermediate point, with a significant part of their production automated, but still far from the total automation of all their processes.
Despite this, optimism is notable. 64% of the companies surveyed believe that Their manufacturing processes could be fully automated within five yearsFurthermore, 60% of industry leaders believe that robotics will be a key element in addressing the current talent shortage, allowing people to be reassigned to higher value-added tasks.
In this context, the budget allocated to robotics has grown in the 67% of Spanish companiesAnd in 18% of cases, it has done so in a particularly significant way. This budgetary commitment makes it clear that automation is not seen as a one-off project, but as a strategic line that companies want to continue strengthening in the coming years.
Where are robots used and what tasks do they perform in factories?
Beyond the adoption rate, it is interesting to see What kind of jobs are robots actually used for? within production plants. Most companies use these systems when tasks are repetitive or mechanical (50%) or involve considerable physical effort for people (39%), such as handling loads, continuous movements, or operations in non-ergonomic environments.
Among the most common uses are the tasks of picking and placing of parts, known as pick and placepresent in 34% of companies. This is closely followed by machinery assembly and loading operations, mentioned by 32% of respondents. In both cases, robots allow for maintaining consistent production rates and reducing errors associated with human fatigue.
The list of applications is completed with a wide range of more specialized tasks: cutting materials, welding, palletizing operations, packaging, or internal transport within the factory, among other places. This diversity gives an idea of ​​the growing versatility of industrial robotics and how it has been expanding from the most conventional production lines to almost every corner of the plant.
In the specific case of humanoid robots, although their actual presence is still limited, companies are beginning to assign them a fairly clear potential role. 42% would use them for support staff and alleviate the physical burdenAnother 42% see them as a way to take on repetitive or very demanding tasks, and 47% believe they could contribute to modernizing operations and improving competitiveness through advanced automation.
This interest does not mean that its deployment will be immediate, but it does point to a possible evolution in which humanoids complement classic robots, especially in environments where their ability to move in spaces designed for people and handle tools similar to those used by operators is valued.
Technologies driving the new wave of industrial robotics
The qualitative leap in robotics in Spain is not explained solely by the arrival of more machines, but also by the improving technologies that make them smarter and saferAmong the innovations that have contributed most to this evolution, the report places environmental recognition sensors in first place, mentioned by 38% of companies.
This section includes systems such as lidar, ultrasound, machine vision cameras and other advanced sensorsThese technologies allow robots to detect obstacles, identify parts, calculate distances, and make decisions in real time. Thanks to them, it's possible to deploy mobile robots that share aisles with people or cobots that adjust their speed and strength to work safely alongside human operators.
Artificial intelligence also plays a leading role. 34% of companies indicate that AI as one of the key technologies to promote the use of robots, by allowing these machines to take on increasingly complex tasks, from advanced motion planning to pattern recognition or adaptation to process variations.
These improvements are complemented by the development of more sophisticated control softwarewhich facilitates the programming and reconfiguration of robotic cells, and new sensors that improve the "touch" of robots, allowing them to manipulate delicate objects, detect slight collisions or work more precisely in fine assembly operations.
Taken together, these innovations are causing robotics to move beyond being exclusively synonymous with large automated production lines and become present in... more varied and dynamic environmentswhere flexibility and adaptability are as important as pure speed or strength.
Challenges to further expanding investment in robotics
Although the outlook is clearly favorable to the growth of automation, companies point to a number of conditions that would help to further accelerate investment in roboticsThe main reason is price reduction: 43% of the organizations surveyed believe that lower equipment costs would be a direct incentive to take the plunge or expand existing projects. Another aspect highlighted was the improvement of the industrial cybersecurity, understood as a requirement to protect increasingly connected operations.
Another relevant factor is the Simplified installation and commissioning26% of companies indicate that eliminating technical barriers and reducing the complexity of integrating robots into existing lines would greatly facilitate adoption, especially in SMEs with fewer internal engineering and maintenance resources.
Hardware development also appears on the list of priorities. 25% of respondents mention the need to continue making progress in more robust, precise and adaptable componentscapable of handling a wider range of tasks without requiring major process redesigns.
Finally, access to financing is emerging as a key element for robotics to reach more companies. Another 25% of companies believe that to have simpler and more flexible financing options —whether through banks, public programs or models such as pay-per-use— could unlock projects that are currently shelved due to a lack of initial resources.
With all these pieces on the table, the Reichelt Elektronik study paints a picture of a Spanish industry in which the Robotics is already part of the daily operations of most companiesBut it still has a long way to go. Budget growth, the investment in cobots and mobile robots, and the push for technologies like AI and new sensors suggest that automation will continue to gain ground, helping companies become more efficient, competitive, and resilient to market changes.
