Humanoid robots projected to fill global labour shortage, Roland Berger report says

A new Roland Berger analysis warns that many advanced economies face a widening gap between labour demand and supply as populations age and birth rates fall. Europe, Japan, South Korea and China are cited as regions where the shortfall is becoming acute.

The report argues that humanoid robots – machines capable of navigating human‑designed environments, climbing stairs and handling tools – could become a major answer to this problem. It estimates a multi‑trillion‑dollar market over the next decades, with early adoption expected in manufacturing, logistics and, later, health‑care sectors. Advances in artificial intelligence, sensors, batteries and computing are said to be driving costs down and functionality up, bringing commercial deployment closer to reality.

Key technology firms such as Tesla, Figure AI, Agility Robotics, Sanctuary AI and several Chinese manufacturers are highlighted as leading developers. The analysis predicts that millions of such robots may be in service worldwide if current development trajectories hold.