Humanoid robots are at the centre of discussions about the future of automation in Germany. According to the Automatica Trend Index 2026, 82 percent of surveyed industry decision-makers are of the opinion that Germany should increasingly develop and promote humanoid robots based on the Chinese model.
China has been very consistently pursuing a national robotics strategy for years, in order to systematically exploit the opportunities of modern automation, according to Patrick Schwarzkopf, Managing Director of the VDMA Robotics + Automation Association. „The five-year plan recently presented by Beijing now places intelligent robotics at the centre of development goals. With humanoid robots, a new chapter is being opened: the aim is to develop an ‚embodied intelligence‘ in which AI software is networked with physical robotics. Completely new practical applications of AI for automation in industry and business are planned.“
Robotics and automation are indispensable for competitiveness
In Germany, too, intelligent robotics is regarded as a key area of innovation: 78 per cent of those surveyed are convinced that the use of AI in robotics and automation is essential for the competitiveness of German industry. According to the Automatica Trend Index, humanoid robots are already an important addition to industrial manufacturing (85%). This is despite the fact that, for 68 per cent of respondents, they are still predominantly used in pilot projects without a widely established area of application.
„Certainly, humanoid robotics is a particularly catchy example of Physical AI, as AI in a human-like form interacts with the real world,“ says Anja Schneider, Exhibition Director of automatica. „We can already say that Physical AI and humanoid robotics will be the top topics at automatica 2027.“
Good prospects: Germany among the top 3
Humanoid platforms exemplify the automation of the future, bringing together expertise from diverse disciplines: the know-how of classic mechanical engineering combines with modern control technology, sensor technology, and AI-based software development. For so-called physical AI, realistic manufacturing data that is captured and processed via sensors is crucial. With its highly developed production sites, Germany has excellent prerequisites. With 449 installed industrial robots per 10,000 employees, Germany has one of the highest robot densities worldwide and ranks third, according to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), behind South Korea and Singapore.
Source: Munich Trade Fair Centre
