New study highlights safety, reliability, and performance as the key drivers of trust

Key Findings:

• 77% of global technology leaders trust robotics within the workplace for essential functions.

• Top factors influencing trust are safety and risk mitigation (42%) along with proven reliability and performance (40%)

• On average executives expect 20% of their workforce to be automated through robotics within the next decade

BOSTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / April 30, 2025 / QNX, a division of BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB)(TSX:BB) today unveiled new research on the growing positive attitudes global technology decision-makers have towards the adoption - and trust of - robotics within the workplace.

Rise of the Robots and Trust Trends

The survey of 1,000 executives from across the healthcare, manufacturing, automotive, and heavy machinery industries revealed that the majority (71%) are currently using robotics in their organization or have plans to do so in the future. Notably, nearly four in five (77%) trust robotics to carry out essential functions within their industry with advancements in safety and risk mitigation (42%) and proven reliability and performance (40%) being the two biggest factors that influence this trust. Across all regions and industries, organizations are embracing the rise of robots within the workplace, with the most common uses being automation (50%), production (46%), support (36%) and high-risk tasks (28%).

Comfort Challenges

Despite 70% of executives expressing comfort working alongside a robot within their industry, the study also exposed the reality that comfort levels decrease when comparing types of tasks. While most are content with robotics taking the lead on menial duties like assembly line work (77%), material handling (73%) and logistics and delivery (70%), trust is harder to come by for robotics handling tasks that require more human interaction, such as medical procedures (51%), customer service (55%), and maintenance and repairs (63%), suggesting these areas will be slower to automate than others.

The global robotics market is experiencing significant growth and transformation and according to global technology intelligence firm ABI Research, the value of the global robotics market will increase from $51 billion USD in 2024 to $163.9 billion by 2030. With advancements in AI and machine learning enhancing the capabilities and adoption of robotics, the overall trend points towards increased integration of robotics across various industries.

Safeguarding Workers and Workplaces

Despite an eagerness towards deployment, the survey also reveals clear areas of caution, with nearly a third of respondents (32%) believing their workplace is not yet prepared to handle the introduction of robotics, creating a potential blind spot for employers when it comes to utilizing their capabilities and, most importantly, keeping workers safe. Additionally, more than half (58%) express concerns about the security risks associated with introducing robotics within their industry, while nearly a third (29%) said that someone in their organization has experienced a robotics-related safety risk or dangerous situation.

"From surgical instruments to self-driving forklifts, industries the world over are embracing robotics in the workplace and are increasingly at ease with the role these new technologies play," said Jim Hirsch, VP of General Embedded Markets at QNX. "As this data makes clear however, that trust is fragile and can easily be broken if robotics are built and deployed without the necessary foundational software to make them performant, safe, secure and reliable. Only when we prioritize the safety of human workers and their environment will workplace robotics achieve their full potential."

Other key findings include:

• Advancements in technology (90%) and improved safety (86%) were called out as the two biggest factors influencing the decision to deploy robotics.

• 92% of respondents feel employees need to be involved in the discussion around robotics integration.

• Almost two thirds (64%) of respondents think their current government AI and robotics policies and regulations are adequate at addressing the ethical implications within their industry.

QNX provides high-performance operating systems, hypervisors, middleware, solutions, and development tools that help simplify the most complex challenges in industries such as robotics, automotive, medical devices, industrial controls, commercial vehicles, rail, and aerospace and defense. QNX empowers organizations to unlock new possibilities in areas like high-performance computing at the edge, standards-based virtualization technologies, and cloud enablement. Trusted in the world's most critical systems, QNX continues to lead across a range of sectors, including healthcare, where its technology is deployed by nine of the top ten medical device manufacturers.

For more information on QNX, visit QNX.com and follow @QNX News.

-ENDS-

This online survey of decision makers on robotics within the healthcare/medical devices, manufacturing, automotive and heavy machinery industries was commissioned by QNX and conducted by market research company OnePoll, in accordance with the Market Research Society's code of conduct. Data was collected between [05/03/2025] and [14/03/2025]. All participants are double-opted in to take part in research and are paid an amount depending on the length and complexity of the survey. This survey was overseen and edited by the OnePoll research team. OnePoll are MRS Company Partners, corporate membership of ESOMAR and Members of the British Polling Council.

About BlackBerry

BlackBerry (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB) provides enterprises and governments the intelligent software and services that power the world around us. Based in Waterloo, Ontario, the company's high-performance foundational software enables major automakers and industrial giants alike to unlock transformative applications, drive new revenue streams and launch innovative business models, all without sacrificing safety, security, and reliability. With a deep heritage in Secure Communications, BlackBerry delivers operational resiliency with a comprehensive, highly secure, and extensively certified portfolio for mobile fortification, mission-critical communications, and critical events management.

About QNX

QNX, a division of BlackBerry Limited (NYSE: BB; TSX: BB), enhances the human experience and amplifies technology-driven industries, providing a trusted foundation for software-defined businesses to thrive. The business leads the way in delivering safe and secure operating systems, hypervisors, middleware, solutions, and development tools, along with support and services delivered by trusted embedded software experts. QNX® technology has been deployed in the world's most critical embedded systems, including more than 255 million vehicles on the road today. QNX® software is trusted across industries including automotive, medical devices, industrial controls, robotics, commercial vehicles, rail, and aerospace and defense. Founded in 1980, QNX is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada. Learn more at qnx.com.

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SOURCE: QNX