Theme: Digitalisation
Industry Adoption: ⚫ ⚫ ⚪ ⚪ Early Adopters
Impact: ⚫ ⚫ ⚪ Significant

A 2024 Maersk survey shows that decision makers rank Autonomous Robotics 12th out of the top 15 trends.

Autonomous robotics is steadily reshaping logistics by automating warehouse tasks like picking, sorting, and transporting goods in many countries around the world. Utilising technologies such as augmented reality (AR) and robotics, these systems perform complex manual tasks, improving efficiency and reducing errors. As 61% of logistics companies cite labour shortages as a key driver for automation, this trend addresses a critical need for operational continuity and cost management.

Market insights reflect the growing interest in autonomous robotics, with around 10,000 patents filed between 2019 and 2023, although only a fraction is groundbreaking. With over 30 startups since 2015, the trend reflects high activity and growing momentum in the startup scene. Scientific publications are around 1,500, showing a steady commitment to research. C-Suite mentions shifted from 80 in 2022 to 40 in 2024, which in this case reflects restrained executive focus.

Top 15 Trends

Share of Key Decision Makers, who consider the trend to be relevant for their company’s logistics 

Autonomous Robotics – Relevance by Industry

What are the opportunities?

Robotics automates many common warehouse handling tasks, helping to increase throughput and safety, in partnership with the workforce. These systems enable operations to adjust to demand fluctuations. Newer warehouses can automatically conserve energy by turning off lighting, further reducing costs. 

What are the challenges?

High initial costs limit adoption, especially in regions with low labour expenses. Regulatory resistance and union concerns about job displacement, complicates its implementation, as there is continued concern about automation’s impact on existing workers and displacement. Additionally, robotic systems face technical challenges with handling loose or bulky cargo. 

Sources:

• Accenture (2021).
• Survey among 500+ global logistics decision makers across various industries, conducted by Statista for Maersk (Q4 2024).
• In-depth interviews with global industry experts, academia, and futurists.
• Unstructured web sources with more than 10,000 search term permutations using AI.
• Curated data from startup databases, patent databases, and analysis tools, as well as Semantic Scholar.