Physical autonomous systems are moving quickly beyond industrial robotics and the factory floor. Their power comes from combining advanced AI’s reasoning and decision-making with perception and movement, enabling machines to adapt and act in unstructured human environments. Yet unlocking this potential beyond traditional industrial robotics requires transforming legacy industries, building strong governance ahead of a transformative leap in robotics, and accelerating meaningful deployments.
Since the early 2020s, robotics has been moving beyond controlled industrial environments and rapidly expanding across logistics, healthcare, retail, construction, and public services, representing a significant new frontier of innovation and competitiveness. In 2024 alone, nearly 200,000 professional service robots were sold globally, while the healthcare robotics market surpassed USD 20 billion, underscoring the accelerated pace of adoption in complex, human-centered environments. Intelligent machines are increasingly addressing labor shortages, streamlining operations, and enabling new service models.
Given this rapid expansion, the Autonomous Systems Economy (ASE) aims to enable the responsible implementation of robotics through three key focus areas:
Unlock value across use cases through proof-of-impact recognition, C-suite dialogues, and an accelerator toolkit that translates specific challenges into market-ready solutions.
Scale autonomous mobility deployments through industry collaboration, clear policy pathways, and a global exchange of best practices among leading deployments.
Ensure a trusted autonomous future through foresight activities, safety frameworks, and governance readiness to secure lasting, positive impact.
Robotics and Autonomous Mobility Platform
A World Economic Forum Initiative