The importance of drones in the defense sector has been greatly highlighted by the Russia-Ukraine war. Competition in the development of humanoid robots is also accelerating, with companies such as Tesla and Boston Dynamics leading the way. On July 23, Kiwoom Securities released a report titled "Unmanned Revolution: White Paper on the Drone and Robot Industry," predicting that the global market for drones and robots will more than double within a few years and suggesting U.S.-listed stocks related to the sector as investment options.
The drone market was valued at approximately $36.8 billion last year, but it is expected to grow to $101.1 billion by 2033. In fact, demand for drones is rapidly increasing across various sectors, including military, agriculture, and logistics. The relaxation of BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) regulations in the United States?which allows drones to be operated remotely without direct visual contact?is acting as a catalyst for market expansion. The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI)-based autonomous flight, high-resolution sensors, and precision positioning technologies is increasing the commercial use of drones in delivery, disaster response, and safety sectors. Additionally, drones are emerging as low-cost, high-efficiency weapons, leading to a strategic expansion of military demand. The United States is fostering its domestic drone industry and diversifying import sources in order to reduce dependence on China for drone-related industries. In this process, the possibility of a short-term supply shortage of drones has also been raised.
The robotics industry is emerging as a key automation solution in response to structural changes such as population aging, global labor shortages, and the spread of reshoring. In particular, demand is rapidly expanding beyond traditional automotive and electronics manufacturing into logistics, healthcare, and service industries, contributing to increased productivity across various sectors. The robotics market is expected to grow from $73.6 billion this year to $185.3 billion by 2030. Currently, the market is segmented into industrial robots, service robots, collaborative robots (cobots), and humanoids, with clear differentiation based on applications and customer bases. Recently, the robotics market has been evolving toward intelligent platforms that integrate AI, sensor, and cloud technologies. Software-based new business models, such as digital twins and Robotics as a Service (RaaS), are also expanding. Kiwoom Securities analyzed, "Healthcare robots, military robots, and autonomous robots are attracting attention as high-growth areas where technological advancements and social demand are converging."
Kiwoom Securities recommended the following U.S.-listed stocks related to drones and robotics: In the defense and aerospace drone sector, AeroVironment (AVAV), Kratos Defense & Security Solutions (KTOS), and Teledyne Technologies (TDY); in the industrial automation robots and software sector, Rockwell Automation (ROK); in the AI chip and automation software sector, NVIDIA (NVDA); in the actuator sector, Regal Rexnord (RRX); and in the AI automation software (humanoid and autonomous driving) sector, Alphabet A (GOOGL) and Tesla (TSLA).
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