A large-scale survey of 145 industrial companies across eight sectors has revealed strong interest among Russian businesses in robotic automation. According to the findings, 57% of enterprises are prepared to invest in automation as soon as universal robots powered by physical artificial intelligence (PAI)—capable of autonomously performing a wide range of tasks—become available on the market.
Already today, 23% of respondents deploy robots directly alongside production equipment, while another 40% are actively planning to implement automation. Among companies that intend to allocate budgets for robotics in 2026, 32% plan to invest up to RUB 50 million, and 23% aim to spend over RUB 100 million. Notably, 41% of businesses adopting robotics prefer domestic solutions, primarily due to reliable technical support and consistent service quality.
The most sought-after tasks for robotic automation include loading raw materials into machines, transporting parts between workstations, quality inspection, and operating in extreme environments—such as high-temperature settings during component manufacturing.
However, significant organizational and technical barriers still hinder widespread adoption. Many enterprises are reluctant to undertake lengthy infrastructure upgrades, overhaul production workflows, or retrain staff on a large scale. Consequently, 26% of respondents favor turnkey solutions that require minimal setup, while 21% prioritize technologies that minimize production downtime.
Return on investment is a decisive factor: 81% of companies consider a payback period of up to five years acceptable, with 37% expecting returns within just 2–3 years. For 43% of potential investors, rapid ROI will be the deciding factor in adopting robotics.
Experts highlight that physical AI represents the next evolutionary leap for robotics. By integrating and processing multimodal data—including images, video, audio, and text—and by deeply “understanding” the physical laws of their environment, such systems will be able to adapt flexibly to changing conditions and execute complex operations without constant human oversight.