By Ayesha Mudassar ISLAMABAD, March 29 (INP-WealthPK): Pakistan's industrial sector must be brought in line with global competitive trends to enhance its output and exports. This could only be possible through innovation, cutting-edge technology, machinery, and research and development. According to the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Pakistan's economic development is directly linked with the development of the industrial sector. To make a country's products competitive on international market, investment in technologies is the need of hour. Aftab Ahmad, Director of Information at Mines & Minerals Department, told WealthPK that to achieve a boost in the mineral mining sector and increase its contribution to Pakistan's gross domestic product (GDP), a high-level focus is required for provision of necessary technical input to local miners. Apart from cost savings, increased productivity, and time savings, the usage of automation is rapidly increasing and gaining acceptability. Another important element of these new modern automation technologies is that they are all environment-friendly. The size of the global industrial automation market was around $175 billion in 2020. The market is anticipated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 9% until 2025. In 2025, the global industrial automation industry is expected to grow to $265 billion, according to Statista. A significant driving factor for the growth of industrial automation market is rising investments in the transformation of traditional production facilities by installing digitized systems. In 2021, the automobile industry had more than 100,000 robot installations, followed by the electronics industry with 88,000 new robots, according to the International Federation of Robotics. Major robot-producing countries such as Japan, South Korea, and the United States have begun increasing automation applications in manufacturing industries. According to the International Federation of Robotics, the Chinese government spent $577 million to develop intelligent systems. Japan's research and development budget for 2019-20 was increased to $351 million to make the country a major robotics innovation centre. The robot budget for 2020 in South Korea was $126 million. Geographically, Asia-Pacific, followed by Europe and North America, holds the greatest share of the global industrial automation market. Automation has now become a necessity for industries to compete in the global market as it boosts output, lowers manufacturing costs, and guarantees better quality. Due to the Covid-19 epidemic, businesses in Pakistan faced some unforeseeable difficulties. The government needs to provide loans with favourable terms and conditions for the import of modern machinery to ensure the automation of industries. More allocation of funds for industrial research is required to ensure quick progress.