Industrial Robotics Adoption and the Productivity Gap Between Large Firms and SMEs

Industrial robotics is transforming manufacturing, but access to automation and its economic benefits varies across enterprises. This research examines differences in robotics adoption between large manufacturers and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), drawing on evidence from the International Federation of Robotics, OECD, Statistics Canada, and firm-level research in France.

The study investigates how enterprise size, production scale, technical capabilities, and pre-existing productivity influence automation decisions and outcomes. It distinguishes technology adoption from realized productivity gains and examines how robotics may affect competition between manufacturers. The findings highlight unequal adoption opportunities without assuming that robotics inevitably widens the productivity gap between large firms and SMEs.