Midea's KUKA Robotics Arm Crosses 100,000 Industrial Robots Sold Per Year
· home-appliances
KUKA, the German industrial robotics maker owned by Midea since 2016, has crossed 100,000 robots sold in a single year for the first time. The new high-water mark is driven by demand from EV battery cell assembly lines and solar panel manufacturing in China, where KUKA has been building out a second production facility in Shanghai.
Why it matters
Midea’s acquisition of KUKA was controversial in Germany at the time, but the bet has paid off in industrial terms. KUKA’s annual robot shipments have grown from around 28,000 in 2016 to over 100,000 in 2025, with China now representing the single largest market. For Midea, KUKA is both a profitable business and a strategic asset as the parent company automates its own home appliance factories.
What is new
- 100,000 robots sold in 2025
- China is the largest single market for KUKA
- Second Shanghai facility ramps up production in 2026
- Midea continues to invest in factory automation across its own plants