Global Food Automation Market, By Type (Motors & Generators, Motor Controls, Discrete Controller Systems & Visualization and Rotary & Linear Products), By Packaging (Palletizing, Sorting & Grading, Packaging & Re-Packaging, Picking & Placing, Processing and Other), By Application (Meat, Poultry & Seafood, Dairy, Bakery, Beverage, Confectionery, Fruits & Vegetables, and Others), By Company and By Geography, Forecast & Opportunities, 2021-2031F

Forecast Period	2027-2031
Market Size (2025)	USD 12.64 Billion
CAGR (2026-2031)	8.26%
Fastest Growing Segment	Confectionery
Largest Market	North America
Market Size (2031)	USD 20.35 Billion

Market Overview

The Global Food Automation Market will grow from USD 12.64 Billion in 2025 to USD 20.35 Billion by 2031 at a 8.26% CAGR. The Global Food Automation Market comprises the integration of robotics, control systems, and information technology to execute processing, packaging, and handling tasks within the food production supply chain. The primary drivers fueling market growth include the urgent need to mitigate severe labor shortages and the operational necessity to ensure consistent hygiene standards while maximizing production throughput. Manufacturers are increasingly relying on automated solutions to maintain output levels despite a shrinking workforce. According to the 'Association for Advancing Automation', in '2024', orders for robots in the food and consumer goods sector surged by 85.6% during the first half of the year as companies accelerated their investment in operational efficiency.

Despite this robust demand, the market faces a significant challenge regarding the substantial initial capital investment required for implementation. Small and medium-sized enterprises often struggle to justify the high costs associated with purchasing, installing, and maintaining complex automated systems. This financial barrier acts as a formidable constraint that limits widespread adoption among smaller players and restricts immediate market expansion in cost-sensitive regions.

Key Market Drivers

Escalating labor costs and a persistent shortage of skilled workforce serve as the most critical determinants driving the Global Food Automation Market. As food producers grapple with high turnover rates and the physical demands of manual processing, the financial imperative to replace human labor with automated alternatives becomes undeniable. This shift is not merely about filling vacancies but about offsetting rising operational expenses associated with wages, benefits, and training. According to Food Engineering, October 2024, in the 'State of Food Manufacturing in 2024' report, 68% of manufacturers reported that the cost of labor had increased compared to the previous year, further incentivizing the transition toward mechanized solutions to protect profit margins and ensure continuity.

Simultaneously, the integration of AI and IoT for smart manufacturing and predictive maintenance is reshaping the technological landscape of the industry. Food companies are increasingly deploying intelligent systems that utilize real-time data to optimize production schedules, enhance quality control, and predict equipment failures before they occur. This technological leap allows for unprecedented levels of operational efficiency and agility, moving beyond simple mechanization to fully connected ecosystems. According to Rockwell Automation, April 2024, in the '9th Annual State of Smart Manufacturing Report', 83% of manufacturers anticipate using Generative AI in their operations in 2024, underscoring the rapid acceptance of these advanced tools. This investment momentum is reflected in broader equipment sales; according to PMMI, in 2024, U.S. packaging machinery shipments grew by 5.8% in 2023 to reach $10.9 billion, highlighting the sustained financial commitment to automated infrastructure.

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Key Market Challenges

The substantial capital expenditure required to implement automated systems stands as a primary impediment to the broader expansion of the Global Food Automation Market. This financial barrier encompasses not only the high purchase price of advanced robotics and control units but also the significant costs associated with facility retrofitting, system integration, and specialized personnel training. For many small and medium-sized enterprises, these upfront expenses are prohibitive, often exceeding available capital reserves. Consequently, the high cost of entry creates a divided market landscape where adoption is heavily skewed toward large corporations that possess the financial liquidity to absorb long return-on-investment timelines.

This economic constraint directly hampers market growth by restricting the technology's penetration into the vast segment of smaller food manufacturers. The inability of these smaller entities to invest in modernization limits the total addressable market volume and slows the overall industry adoption rate. This concentration of technology among major players is evident in recent industry figures. According to the 'International Federation of Robotics', in '2024', the operational stock of industrial robots in the food and beverage industry exceeded 135,000 units globally. While this figure demonstrates significant deployment, the data underscores a market dynamic where growth is driven principally by established entities, as financial barriers continue to prevent widespread adoption among cost-sensitive producers.

Key Market Trends

The Widespread Adoption of Collaborative Robots (Cobots) in Shared Workspaces is transforming production floors by enabling safe interaction between human workers and machines. Unlike traditional industrial robots that require extensive safety caging, cobots are designed with force-limiting sensors to operate alongside staff, facilitating high-mix tasks such as palletizing and secondary packaging. This flexibility is particularly valuable for food facilities with limited floor space or those managing frequent product changeovers, allowing for a more agile manufacturing environment. The growing reliance on these versatile systems is evident in global installation patterns; according to the International Federation of Robotics, September 2024, in the 'World Robotics 2024' report, collaborative robots captured 10% of the total industrial robot market in 2023, reflecting a structural change in how automation is deployed to complement human activity.

Simultaneously, the Advancement of Automated Optical Inspection and Machine Vision Systems is becoming critical for ensuring product consistency and adhering to stringent food safety regulations. Manufacturers are integrating high-resolution cameras and spectral imaging to detect foreign objects, verify label accuracy, and monitor seal integrity at speeds impossible for manual inspectors. This technology eliminates subjective error and provides the data granularity needed for real-time quality control, essential for protecting brand reputation. According to Universal Robots, November 2024, in the 'Survey Insights: How Manufacturers are Embracing Technology in 2024', 54% of manufacturers identified improving product quality as their primary motivation for adopting new technologies, indicating that precision inspection capabilities are now a leading priority for operational investment.

Segmental Insights

The confectionery segment is emerging as the fastest-growing category within the global food automation market due to the rising necessity for high-volume production and precise handling. Manufacturers are increasingly integrating automated solutions to manage complex packaging requirements while maintaining consistent product uniformity. This shift is further propelled by stringent safety regulations from entities such as the Food and Drug Administration, which encourage reduced human intervention to mitigate contamination risks. Consequently, the adoption of robotics for repetitive tasks like sorting and wrapping is expanding rapidly to optimize operational efficiency and ensure compliance with rigorous global safety standards.

Regional Insights

North America holds the leading share in the global food automation market, driven by a mature food processing sector and high consumption of processed goods. This regional dominance is reinforced by strict safety protocols mandated by the Food and Drug Administration, which compel manufacturers to adopt automation to ensure hygiene and regulatory compliance. Furthermore, the industry faces ongoing labor shortages and rising operational costs, leading companies to invest in automated solutions for improved efficiency. These combined factors create a strong environment for the sustained adoption of automation technologies across the North American food supply chain.

Recent Developments

• In November 2025, Tetra Pak launched "Factory OS," a new automation and digitalization portfolio engineered to prepare food and beverage plants for artificial intelligence integration. This platform was designed to connect disparate equipment and systems within a factory, providing a unified, real-time view of production performance. By leveraging open technologies, the solution enabled manufacturers to monitor materials, quality, and asset utilization more effectively, thereby reducing waste and energy consumption. The launch underscored a major shift towards data-driven manufacturing, empowering producers to optimize their operations and lower total costs while meeting stringent sustainability and efficiency targets.
• In October 2025, Chef Robotics announced a partnership with ILPRA to deliver a unified automation solution that integrates AI-enabled robotic assembly with advanced packaging technologies. This collaboration combined flexible robotic arms, capable of handling variable ingredients, with high-speed tray sealing and filling machines to streamline the production of ready-to-eat meals. The joint offering was designed to solve labor challenges in high-mix, high-volume manufacturing environments by creating a seamless end-to-end process. By synchronizing precise food manipulation with packaging operations, the companies aimed to help manufacturers maximize throughput, reduce product giveaway, and improve overall operational efficiency.
• In May 2024, ABB Robotics entered into a strategic collaboration with Pulmuone to develop AI-driven automation solutions specifically for the production of laboratory-grown seafood. This partnership focused on integrating robotic systems into the cell-cultured food manufacturing process to handle repetitive tasks and minimize contamination risks associated with manual handling. By applying industrial robotics to this emerging sector, the companies aimed to establish a mass production system that ensures consistency and safety in novel food products. The initiative represented a significant breakthrough in research, demonstrating how advanced automation can support the scaling of sustainable, tech-driven food alternatives.
• In April 2024, JBT Corporation executed a definitive transaction agreement to acquire Marel hf, a global leader in food processing solutions, to create a comprehensive technology provider for the industry. This strategic combination aimed to merge complementary product portfolios, thereby enhancing automation capabilities across poultry, meat, and fish processing lines. The collaboration sought to accelerate the development of innovative technologies that address critical issues such as labor shortages and sustainability in food production. The transaction, valued at approximately €3.6 billion, highlighted the sector's increasing consolidation towards integrated, automated processing systems that deliver higher efficiency and yield for global food processors.

Key Market Players

• Rockwell Automation, Inc.
• ABB Ltd
• Siemens AG
• Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Schneider Electric SE
• Yokogawa Electric Corporation
• GEA Group
• Fortive Corporation
• Yaskawa Electric Corporation
• Rexnord Corporation

By Type	By Packaging	By Application	By Region
Motors & Generators Motor Controls Discrete Controller Systems & Visualization and Rotary & Linear Products	Palletizing Sorting & Grading Packaging & Re-Packaging Picking & Placing Processing and Other	Meat Poultry & Seafood Dairy Bakery Beverage Confectionery Fruits & Vegetables and Others	North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa

Report Scope:

In this report, the Global Food Automation Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

• Food Automation Market, By Type:

• Motors & Generators
• Motor Controls
• Discrete Controller Systems & Visualization and Rotary & Linear Products

• Food Automation Market, By Packaging:

• Palletizing
• Sorting & Grading
• Packaging & Re-Packaging
• Picking & Placing
• Processing and Other

• Food Automation Market, By Application:

• Meat
• Poultry & Seafood
• Dairy
• Bakery
• Beverage
• Confectionery
• Fruits & Vegetables
• and Others

• Food Automation Market, By Region:

• North America
• United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• Europe
• France
• United Kingdom
• Italy
• Germany
• Spain
• Asia Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• Australia
• South Korea
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Colombia
• Middle East & Africa
• South Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE