The UK Government has launched a new network of Robotics Adoption Hubs to help businesses become early adopters of cutting-edge technology. The eight hubs, established across the country including in South Wales, Yorkshire, Milton Keynes and Newcastle, will provide businesses and public services with hands-on support in embracing robotics and autonomous technology.
£40m funding for new initiatives
Underpinned by £40m in funding, the hubs will support new initiatives including robotic surgical assistants designed to make operations less invasive, enabling swifter recoveries and allowing patients to return home sooner. Farmers will also benefit from innovative agricultural technology, including autonomous fruit-picking machines, significantly reducing harvest times and freeing up farm workers to concentrate on other tasks to maximise productivity. This will be the focus of the Lincoln-based HARVEST hub.
A dedicated hub in the south-east of England will trial automation to improve how Britain handles waste and recycling, enabling more materials to be recovered and reducing the volume sent to landfill, while also creating skilled employment opportunities. Meanwhile, the Smart City Hub in Milton Keynes will support the deployment of service robots, drones and driverless vehicles, introducing new technologies to transport, logistics and delivery services.
Minister and industry leaders respond
Kanishka Narayan, minister for AI, said the hubs will give businesses access to "specialist expertise, advice and support at their fingertips". During a visit to the HARVEST hub in Lincoln, he said: "Quicker recovery for patients, more time for businesses to focus on the work that makes a real difference, and more food on our tables."
"That's the impact cutting-edge robotics technology can have up and down the country. If we can harness robotics in every sector of our economy, we can speed up how we reindustrialise the UK. It really is that simple, but too often businesses and bosses don't know where to start. These new hubs will tackle that problem head-on – putting specialist expertise, advice, and support at their fingertips. That means they can embrace it with confidence, help deliver rewarding jobs, and improve lives for people in every community."
Bruce Adderley, director of advanced manufacturing at Innovate UK (UK Research and Innovation), added: "Robotics has an important role to play in improving productivity, strengthening public services and driving economic growth. These Robotics Adoption Hubs will provide a vital bridge between cutting-edge technologies and the organisations that can benefit from them, building on regional strengths and expertise across the UK."
"By supporting adoption across a diverse range of sectors and locations, we're helping businesses grow, attracting investment, strengthening local economies and translating innovation into jobs, productivity and growth in communities across the country."
Economic impact projections
Professor Simon Pearson, founding director of the Lincoln Institute for Agri-Food Technology (LIAT) and executive director of HARVEST, said: "This funding takes us to the next level on our journey to advance agri-food through cutting-edge robotic solutions, securing support for businesses to overcome technical, commercial, regulatory and workforce challenges by working with the LIAT team and key industry representatives."
The Department for Business and Trade has indicated that, should the uptake of robotics and autonomous systems be fully maximised, it could contribute as much as £150bn to the UK economy. However, based on current rates of adoption, that figure is projected to reach just £6.4bn.
