Brief insights:

  • According to Interact Analysis, despite challenges in 2025, the global mobile robot market for warehouse and factory automation is expected to maintain high growth this year and beyond.
  • The market research firm's report released this month predicts that mobile robot revenue will grow from nearly $5 billion in 2024 to $14 billion by 2030. This figure remains below Interact Analysis's May 2025 forecast of $15.6 billion for 2030, which was revised downward after tariffs reshaped global supply chains.
  • Mobile forklifts are expected to account for about one-third of total mobile robot revenue, despite their smaller share of total shipments. Ash Sharma, the firm's research director for robotics and warehouse automation, said in a statement in the report: "The forklift sector continues to attract new entrants and innovation, with suppliers expanding their portfolios to include forklifts in integrated mobile automation solutions."

In-depth insights:

According to another report released by Interact Analysis in December last year, despite weak macroeconomic fundamentals, companies such as Amazon and Tesco continue to announce large-scale warehouse automation investments.

Last summer, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said on an earnings call that automation and robotics are "important drivers for improving cost efficiency and enhancing customer experience in the long term." This came after the online retail giant announced it had deployed its one-millionth mobile robot.

In May 2025, Interact Analysis said it had lowered its warehouse automation spending forecast due to US tariffs driving up prices and adversely affecting the market.

The market research firm said that although the outlook remains below the more optimistic pre-tariff forecasts, it has improved entering the new year as global macroeconomic uncertainties ease.

The December report said: "As conditions stabilize, visibility into future market dynamics has improved, and end users are more confident in advancing large capital investments. This shift has led us to adopt a slightly more optimistic view of warehouse construction and automation spending in our latest forecast. This does not mean that macroeconomic fundamentals have fully recovered—far from it—but our pessimism is significantly less than six months ago."