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The Future Of Artificial Intelligence: Physical AI and Humanoid Robotics Are The Next Industrial Frontier

Humanoid robotics is moving from concept to commercial reality. As aging populations, rapid urbanization, and widening labor shortages strain global productivity, Physical AI is emerging as a structural solution. With the market projected to grow from $2–3 billion today to as much as $200 billion in the coming decade, and productivity gains reaching up to 150% at full human parity, humanoids may represent the next industrial frontier, where engineering, energy systems, and AI converge to reshape the future of work.

PUBLISHED BY FII Institute

February 17, 2026

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Can robots solve the world’s growing labor and productivity crisis?

FII Institute in collaboration with our strategic partner, Barclays, authored by Zornitsa Todorova, Head of Thematic FICC Research, explores how humanoid robotics is reshaping the future of work, productivity, and global supply chains. With the market projected to grow from $2–3 billion today to as much as $200 billion in the coming decade, Physical AI is moving rapidly from research labs into real industrial environments.

Driven by aging populations, accelerating urbanization, and structural labor shortages, humanoid robots offer scalable productivity gains of up to 150% at full human parity. The report also examines Europe’s competitive edge in advanced manufacturing and precision engineering, positioning it as a key player in the next wave of AI innovation.

Discover how “brains, brawn, and batteries” are redefining industrial strategy, investment opportunities, and the global economy.

The future of work may not just be digital, it may be humanoid.

Topics Included

barclays, HP, Op-Ed, Op-Eds

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