According to McKinsey's latest insights, the general-purpose robotics market is expected to expand to approximately $370 billion by 2040, presenting Japanese companies with an opportunity to capture approximately 30% of the global market.
The global robotics market is shifting from traditional dedicated machines toward an era in which AI and data are key competitive assets, with the general-purpose robotics market expected to expand to approximately $370 billion by 2040. The Japanese government aims for Japanese companies to capture approximately 30% of the global market by that year.
Robot density in Japan's manufacturing sector fell from No. 1 in 2009 to No. 5 in 2024, while Japan's share of global industrial robot production declined from 54% to 29%. Future competition will require a strategic shift toward AI, software and data utilization.
Factors that will determine success in the general-purpose robotics market include building a data flywheel that feeds data back into training from the latter half of the 2030s through 2040, developing integrated software platforms, and designing strategies with overseas markets as a premise.
Japanese companies have the potential to capture approximately 30% of the general-purpose robotics market, or approximately $111 billion, but will need to address challenges involving AI, speed of deployment and capital allocation. As component supply becomes increasingly commoditized, integrated proposals incorporating modularization and safety represent a business opportunity.