Intesa Sanpaolo Group subsidiary Eurizon has launched the YAS Robotics Active UCITS ETF, which forms part of the firm’s new “YourActive” platform. Additional thematic active ETFs are expected to follow.
The launch, first reported by ETF Stream, comes amid surging use of robotics worldwide. The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) says global factories installed 542,000 industrial robots in 2024, more than double the level of a decade earlier, with annual installations now above 500,000 for a fourth straight year. Service robotics is broadening the investment case beyond factory floors: IFR reports that almost 200,000 professional service robots were sold in 2024, up 9%, with particularly strong demand in transport and logistics, healthcare and cleaning.
The robotics value chain is global, diverse and complex. The companies that are currently benefiting are not just obvious robot manufacturers, but also include semiconductor firms, sensor makers, software providers and others. Many businesses sit across several parts of the chain, and different industries and countries are involved, so it is not a clean, straightforward sector. This breadth is an opportunity for an active manager, because the theme is wide enough for sub-sector and stock picking judgement to matter. However, it is also a risk, because any fund that starts with an intention of focus on robotics risks morphing into a more generic technology portfolio over time, if the mandate is not handled carefully.
Eurizon’s YourActive platform is designed to extend the group’s push into the ETF market beyond traditional index-tracking products. Eurizon said when it entered the ETF market that its new listed-funds range was intended to combine the tradability and transparency of ETFs with the portfolio management capabilities of investment funds, using Luxembourg-domiciled SICAV structures run by Eurizon Capital S.A. The fund is therefore more than a standalone thematic launch: it is part of Eurizon’s attempt to build a broader active ETF offering that can sit next to its passive YourIndex SICAV range, giving investors exchange-traded access to both index-based and manager-led strategies within the same platform.
Our view
David Batchelor, senior analyst at QuotedData, said: “This looks like a particularly interesting addition to the active ETF sector. The listed European market in robotics investing is dominated by passive exposure, led by large established products such as the iShares Automation & Robotics UCITS ETF, which has been trading since September 2016 and currently has around €3bn in assets. Therefore, the question for YAS Robotics Active UCITS ETF is not whether robotics is an interesting and growing area, but whether this fund can turn a good story into a better portfolio. To justify its place, the new fund will need to show that active stock selection can uncover better ideas than a standard basket of robot makers and automation suppliers. If it can, this could be a very astute first active product on Eurizon’s YourActive platform.
