Industrial Robot Stock Surpassed 5 Million Units in 2025
As global installations climbed to 603,000 units, industrial sector growth drove increased focus on cyber-physical security.
Updated on Sept. 29, 2026 in Robotics
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The global stock of industrial robots reached 5 million units in 2025, representing a 9% growth rate as manufacturers installed 603,000 new units. This expansion accompanied a shift in capital toward cybersecurity firms tasked with securing factory infrastructure.
Why it matters
The rapid digitization of factory floors has made manufacturing the most targeted industry for cyberattacks, as compromised robot controllers can be manipulated to move physical equipment and endanger human personnel. This environment has prompted regulatory action and significant venture capital investment in companies specializing in protecting operational technology.
Global robot stock reached 5 million units in 2025, with China accounting for 354,000 installations and the United States for 38,500. Security firms like Exein raised $270 million at a $1.7 billion valuation to address vulnerabilities, following cases such as the PolyScope 5 disclosure.
The players
Exein
A Rome-based cybersecurity firm developing firmware and hardware-integrated security solutions for industrial IoT and robotics.
Claroty
An industrial cybersecurity company that provides visibility and threat detection for cyber-physical systems in large-scale manufacturing.
Universal Robots
A prominent manufacturer of collaborative industrial robots that recently collaborated with CISA on software vulnerability disclosures.
CISA
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency that monitors and reports on vulnerabilities affecting national critical infrastructure.
ServiceNow
An enterprise software company that provides cloud-based platforms for IT service management and operations, recently expanding into asset security.
The details
Security providers now integrate protection by monitoring network traffic and mapping cyber-physical systems—the intersection of software control and physical machinery—within factory environments. These tools identify unpatched software on legacy equipment, which serves as a primary vector for severe security incidents. Recent regulatory changes, such as the EU Cyber Resilience Act, mandate that manufacturers report actively exploited vulnerabilities to address these systemic risks.
Timeline
January 2026: Claroty raised $150 million in Series F funding.
April 2026: ServiceNow acquired Armis.
May 2026: CISA and Universal Robots disclosed a software vulnerability.
September 11, 2026: EU Cyber Resilience Act reporting requirements began.
December 11, 2027: EU Cyber Resilience Act main obligations take effect.
The Tech Race
The EU Cyber Resilience Act establishes a mandatory security framework that sets the stage for future compliance standards in industrial automation. This regulatory movement follows a competitive pattern where security-focused startups and enterprise incumbents race to secure factory networks as they become critical points of failure.
Industrial operations are shifting toward more robust, software-integrated security protocols to manage the risks posed by networked robots. Professionals in the manufacturing sector will likely see tighter compliance requirements and mandated reporting cycles for legacy equipment by late 2027.
The takeaway
The rapid expansion of global robot stock has transformed cybersecurity from an IT concern into a critical requirement for physical safety on factory floors. Watch for industry-wide adoption of security-by-design standards as the EU Cyber Resilience Act implementation reaches its final phase in 2027.
What happens next
Manufacturers and industrial operators should prepare for the December 11, 2027, deadline when the main obligations of the EU Cyber Resilience Act take full effect.
Further reading
For more on the current technical landscape of autonomous manufacturing, explore our Robotics section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by PYMNTS.
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