Eight new Robotics Adoption Hubs are to be rolled out across the UK, the government has announced. These hubs will receive £40 million to offer advice and support to businesses and public services looking to utilise the latest technologies and transition to automation.
One hub in Newcastle will assist healthcare providers with robotic-assisted surgery, while another in Lincoln, named the HARVEST hub, will support the farming and food industries with innovations such as automated fruit-picking machines. AI and Robotics Minister Kanishka Narayan stated that harnessing robotics in every sector could "speed up how we reindustrialise the UK."
Professor Simon Pearson MBE of the Lincoln Institute for Agri-Food Technology noted that the hub would introduce new technologies to the farming and food sectors, bringing food and robot companies together. He added that these technologies would help address challenges in farming, including profitability, labour access, and climate issues.
In addition to the eight hubs, the programme will allocate £2.5 million to support 12 projects aimed at developing practical robotics training and apprenticeships, including the Port and Logistics Robotics Adoption Programme in Hull.