Robotics, Demography and Industrial Automation. Case study of Japan and Germany

The study examines the relationship between demographic aging and the development of the robotics market in Japan and Germany from 2003 to 2023, with a forecast for 2024. As two of the world's most rapidly aging societies, both countries face significant labour shortages, which they have sought to mitigate through the large-scale adoption of industrial robots. Using a combination of descriptive statistics, comparative analysis, and econometric modelling, the study analyses trends in robot density, export-import dynamics, and macroeconomic drivers of robotics demand. The results confirm that Japan and Germany are global leaders in robotics integration and export, together accounting for approximately 40% of worldwide industrial robot exports in 2023. However, regression-based forecasts indicate a potential decline in exports for 2024, 10.76% for Japan and 21.84% for Germany, due to factors such as tightened export controls, international competition, and cyclical economic pressures. The findings support the hypothesis that robotics serves as a strategic response to demographic decline but also highlight the need for complementary policies in education, innovation, and social adaptation. The study concludes that robotization is an inevitable adaptation strategy for aging economies and offers lessons for other countries facing similar demographic transitions.