Underwater Robotics Market Report 2025

This underwater robotics market report delivers an in-depth analysis of the market’s key characteristics, including size, growth potential, and segmentation. It provides a detailed breakdown of the market across major regions and leading countries, highlighting historical data and future growth projections. The report also examines the competitive landscape, market share insights, emerging trends, and strategic developments shaping the market.

The underwater robotics market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $4.04 billion in 2024 to $4.53 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.3%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to the need for deepwater exploration and extraction, the need to monitor and protect marine environments, increasingly used in search and rescue missions, the growth of the aquaculture industry, and the development of offshore wind farms.

The underwater robotics market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $7.14 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to decreasing costs of underwater robotics technology, increased funding from governments and research institutions, growth in commercial activities, the need for inspection and maintenance of aging underwater infrastructure, and growing public interest. Major trends in the forecast period include advances in technology, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, the development of autonomous underwater vehicles, advancements in sensors and communication, and collaborative and swarm robotics.

The rise in offshore activities is expected to drive the growth of the underwater robotics market in the coming years. Offshore activities involve operations conducted at sea, typically related to oil and gas extraction, renewable energy production, or marine research, often occurring beyond a nation's territorial waters. Several factors are contributing to the increase in offshore activities, including economic efficiency, rising energy demand, resource availability, and geopolitical stability. Underwater robotics improve these activities by facilitating precise and efficient exploration and maintenance of subsea environments, which reduces the risks and costs associated with deep-sea operations. For example, in June 2024, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, a UK-based government agency, reported that tourism and recreation in coastal and offshore areas rose by 8.1%, or $16.5 billion, reaching a total of $219.7 billion, making it the largest contributor to the growth of the marine economy's real gross output in 2022. As a result, the increasing offshore activities are propelling the growth of the underwater robotics market.

Leading companies in the underwater robotics sector are concentrating on developing advanced imaging solutions to improve operational efficiency and image quality during underwater missions. Advanced imaging in underwater robotics involves using sophisticated technologies and methods to capture, process, and analyze visual data in underwater environments. For instance, in April 2024, VideoRay, a US-based producer of portable underwater robots, introduced Ally, a new entry-level underwater robot designed for the maritime expeditionary standoff response (MESR) program. Ally, which combines advanced capabilities in a compact and user-friendly design, is equipped with a cutting-edge 4K Ultra Smart camera powered by artificial intelligence. This enhances operational efficiency and data collection, while its robust, modular platform supports heavy payloads and various sensors, allowing operators to customize it for specific tasks.

In May 2023, Sarcos Technology and Robotics Corporation, a U.S.-based advanced robotic technology company, formed a partnership with VideoRay for an undisclosed amount. This collaboration integrates VideoRay's remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) with Sarcos' modular Guardian Sea Class robotic system, which is designed for versatility and seamless adaptation to various underwater operations. This partnership represents a significant advancement in the underwater robotics industry, offering innovative solutions to address diverse and evolving operational needs. VideoRay LLC is a U.S.-based manufacturer of underwater robotic systems, recognized for its remotely operated vehicles (ROVs).

Major companies operating in the underwater robotics market are Lockheed Martin Corporation, BAE Systems plc, General Dynamics Mission Systems Inc., Huntington Ingalls Industries, TechnipFMC plc, Subsea 7 S.A., Kongsberg Maritime AS, Fugro N.V., Oceaneering International Inc., Forum Energy Technologies Inc., DOF Group ASA, Atlas Elektronik GmbH, BIRNS Inc., Eddyfi Technologies Inc., ECA Group, Saab Seaeye Ltd., Bluefin Robotics Corporation, Teledyne Marine Technologies Incorporated., International Submarine Engineering (ISE) Ltd., VideoRay LLC, Schilling Robotics LLC, Deep Ocean Engineering Inc.

North America was the largest region in the underwater robotics market in 2023. The regions covered in the underwater robotics market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the underwater robotics market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

Underwater robotics involves creating robotic systems intended for operation beneath the water's surface. These robots are utilized for activities such as exploration, monitoring, and research in aquatic environments, enabling work in deep or hazardous areas where human presence is challenging or unfeasible.

The primary types of underwater robots include remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), hybrid ROVs/AUVs, unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), and surface-supported underwater robotics. Remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) are unmanned robots managed from a distance and are commonly used for underwater exploration and operations. They are equipped with lights, cameras, frames, thrusters, tethers, pilot controls, and other components. These robots carry out various functions such as observation, surveying, inspection, construction, intervention, and trenching, and are applied in fields such as defense and security, oil and gas exploration, marine research, environmental monitoring, underwater construction and inspection, search and rescue, and scientific research.

The underwater robotics market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides underwater robotics market statistics, including the underwater robotics industry's global market size, regional shares, competitors with an underwater robotics market share, detailed underwater robotics market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the underwater robotics industry. This underwater robotics market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenarios of the industry.

The underwater robotics market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing services such as deep-sea exploration, underwater inspections, marine research, and environmental monitoring. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. The underwater robotics market also includes sales of underwater drones, underwater gliders, crawlers or subsea crawlers, and underwater manipulators. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD, unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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