PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, has released its 2026 Robotics in US Packaging & Processing Report, detailing robotics adoption, investment trends and technology priorities across U.S. packaging and processing operations.

Produced with market intelligence firm Interact Analysis, the report estimates that the U.S. robotics market serving packaging and processing was worth more than $440 million in 2025. The market is projected to reach approximately $800 million by 2031, representing a 10.3% compound annual growth rate.

The report indicates that robotics adoption is expanding beyond targeted applications. Manufacturers are increasingly evaluating the technology for improvements in throughput, cost, quality and consistency.

Industrial robots accounted for 63% of the market in 2025. Mobile robots represented 32%, while collaborative robots accounted for 5%.

Market composition is expected to shift by 2031. Mobile robots are forecast to become the largest segment, with a 45% market share. Humanoid robots, currently a small pilot-stage segment, are projected to increase from 0.1% to 5%.

Among surveyed end users, 72% currently use robotics. PMMI expects that figure to reach 95% by 2031. In addition, 61% of end users anticipate increasing robotics investment over the next year.

Robotics investment is also increasing among original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and system integrators. Sixty-nine percent currently include robotics in their portfolios, while 86% expect to do so by 2031. Another 81% anticipate increasing investment over the next year.

End users cited increased throughput and productivity, cost reduction, and improved quality and consistency as their top adoption drivers. When selecting an OEM, respondents identified reliability and uptime, service and support, and demonstrated return on investment or payback as leading criteria.

The report also identifies several barriers to adoption, including high upfront costs, integration with existing equipment and systems, and concerns about maintenance and service support.

Applications drawing the most interest include robotic arms for loading packaging materials into machinery, mobile robots for transporting materials to production lines, mobile robots equipped with collaborative robot arms, and robotics for processing applications.