Facilities Teams Turn to Robots as Skills Gap Grows
A JLL survey of 1,321 organisations projects robotics use rising from 37% to 71% by 2030 as labour shortages persist.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Robotics
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JLL published research surveying 1,321 organisations across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific on how they are adopting AI in facilities management. The study is a survey report, not a shipped product, and its adoption figures describe current organisational plans and practice.
Why it matters
The findings point to facilities management becoming a competitive lever, with spending expected to move from labour toward technology and automation. Workforce shortages in skilled trades and AI skills are already disrupting operations, which is pushing organisations toward automation and external technology partnerships.
The figures come from a survey of 1,321 organisations, so they reflect self-reported plans and practice rather than measured performance of robotics or AI systems. The study projects robotics adoption rising from 37% to 71% and AI scaling reaching 86% by 2030, but these are forward estimates and the stub gives no measured productivity or cost benchmarks for the technology itself.
The players
JLL
JLL is a global commercial real estate and facilities management services firm whose research arm publishes market and technology adoption studies.
The details
The research gathered responses from organisations across five regions and compared the risk patterns and measurement priorities across markets and sectors. Facilities management covers the operation of buildings, including maintenance, energy systems and the skilled trades that keep them running. Respondents reported that shortages of those trades, together with a lack of AI and technical skills, were the most common source of disruption. Organisations facing that gap are turning to automation, with nearly 90% expecting spending to shift from labour toward technology, and nearly half of advanced AI adopters saying outside technology partnerships are essential.
Timeline
Past year: nearly 70% of respondents faced operational disruption from skills shortages.
Next three to five years: fewer than 45% say they are prepared to manage workforce risks.
2030: projected milestones for AI scaling (86%) and robotics adoption (71%).
The Tech Race
The report positions facilities management as an arena where AI and robotics adoption is accelerating, with 45% of organisations already scaling or optimising AI there. The projected rise in robotics use from 37% to 71% by 2030 suggests the sector is moving from pilots toward mainstream deployment, though the stub does not name competing technology programmes.
Building occupants and facilities teams are likely to see more automated systems and outside technology partners as organisations shift spending from labour toward technology. The stub gives no timeline for specific products or pricing, so the pace of change for any individual building is unannounced.
The takeaway
The central trajectory is that workforce shortages are pushing facilities management toward automation and external technology partners before 2030. Watch whether the projected rise in robotics adoption from 37% to 71% is confirmed in JLL's future survey editions.
Further reading
For broader context on how automation is reaching physical building work, see our Robotics coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by IT Brief Australia.
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