Stock market today: S&P 500 in weekly loss as trade war fears intensifyy
Investing.com -- UBS sees humanoid robots as a potential long-term driver of growth for the technology sector, with the opportunity spanning semiconductors, hardware, imaging, and assembly.
In a new Q-Series report, the bank estimates that annual global demand for humanoids could grow from 15,000 units in 2025 to 86 million by 2050, driving a more than 40% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the period.
UBS estimates the semiconductor market tied to humanoids could scale from $21 million in 2025 to $177 billion in 2050 under its base case—equivalent to 28% of the industry’s 2025 size.
The report highlights semiconductors as “a key enabler supporting the humanoid’s intelligence,” with demand for processing, connectivity, sensing, storage and analog content benefiting chip suppliers and foundries.
Hardware suppliers could also gain from both launching branded robots and integrating humanoids into factory operations.
UBS views AI as a pivotal driver in accelerating humanoid adoption. The firm notes that “humanoids can be a strong product cycle for tech,” and that AI models such as simulation frameworks and on-device visual language models could help advance training and cognitive capabilities.
“The benefits are long-term in nature but an inflection could pull in with AI to drive a tech product cycle as humanoids drive a compute intensive replacement of manual labor,” the analysts led by Randy Abrams wrote.
UBS has built a semiconductor bill of materials for a high-end humanoid at around $1,400 in 2025, with potential to increase to $2,000 by 2050 as complexity and functionality rise.
Key component categories include a $500 main processor, DRAM and NAND storage, MCUs for motor control, analog components, and multiple sensors and camera modules.
Potential stock beneficiaries span chipmakers such as NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA), Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM), MediaTek Inc (TW:2454), and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE:TSM); hardware names including Samsung (KS:005930), Xiaomi (OTC:XIACF), and Teradyne (NASDAQ:TER); and component suppliers such as Largan, Sony (NYSE:SONY), Bizlink, Micron (NASDAQ:MU), and Infineon (OTC:IFNNY).
Assembly firms like Hon Hai (TW:2317), Quanta Services Inc (NYSE:PWR), and Wistron Corp (TW:3231) also feature on UBS’s radar.
UBS expects the major inflection point for humanoid adoption to occur between 2030 and 2050 but notes that the pace could accelerate as companies roll out dedicated hardware and AI platforms.
For example, Nvidia plans to roll out its Thor platform for on-device humanoid processing, alongside simulation and training tools, while hardware manufacturers including Hon Hai, Quanta, and Wistron are developing humanoid robots for use in factories, healthcare, and hospitality.
At the same time, consumer tech brands such as Xiaomi and Asustek (TW:2357) are working on home-oriented models that integrate AI and smart device technologies.