Why 2025’s Industrial Strategy must close Britain’s manufacturing robotics gap
Originally published in The Manufacturer on 9 December 2024, Stewart Miller, CEO of the National Robotarium, explains why the recently announced Industrial Strategy will be pivotal in supporting the UK’s potential to lead the global robotics revolution.
Imagine a near future where autonomous robots maintain vast offshore wind farms, where precision manufacturing systems collaborate seamlessly with skilled technicians, and where British-made robotics lead global innovation in healthcare, energy, and industrial automation. This future isn’t decades away – it’s within our grasp. But seizing it requires urgent action.
As the government sets out its vision for Britain’s industrial future, the stakes for manufacturing could not be higher. The sector currently accounts for 10% of GDP – increasing this to 15% would add £142bn to the economy. Achieving this transformation, however, requires modernising our manufacturing capabilities, particularly in robotics and automation where Britain lags dangerously behind global competitors.
With just 119 robots per 10,000 manufacturing employees, the UK has recorded the lowest robotics adoption in the G7, trailing not only traditional competitors but emerging economies like Mexico and Turkey. While Asia installs 73% of new industrial robots and the EU maintains steady growth, the UK’s modest 3% growth rate signals concerning trends for our future competitiveness.
A missed opportunity
The economic stakes are enormous. The global robotics technology market is projected to surge to £283bn by 2032, representing a transformative opportunity that the UK must seize to remain competitive. Goldman Sachs forecasts humanoid robots becoming economically viable for factories by 2027, while countries like Australia and China are already racing ahead with ambitious national robotics strategies. Without decisive action now, Britain risks missing this opportunity entirely.
The implications for UK manufacturing are profound. Currently facing 70,000 sector vacancies, manufacturers are struggling not just with labour shortages but with reshoring opportunities that could strengthen domestic supply chains. Advanced robotics could enable this reshoring while creating thousands of high-skilled jobs across development, integration, maintenance, and manufacturing support roles.
Yet a critical mistake in current policy is subsuming robotics under artificial intelligence initiatives. While AI is crucial, robotics requires distinct strategic focus and investment. The technology’s physical nature demands specialised facilities for development, testing, and manufacturing – infrastructure that can’t be created through software alone. A standalone robotics strategy would help unlock the full potential of this transformative technology.
Accelerating innovation
The solution lies in developing comprehensive robotics clusters that integrate research, manufacturing, and skills development. Examples like the National Robotarium in Edinburgh demonstrate how dedicated facilities can accelerate innovation, with such centres becoming home to hundreds of robotics professionals, housing successful startups, supporting industry-funded projects, and engaging thousands in robotics education.
The vision for expansion includes ten new regional centres, each supporting specific industrial clusters and manufacturing capabilities. In the Northeast, a specialised centre could further develop offshore robotics capabilities, supporting both renewable energy and the oil and gas sector’s transition. The Northwest could leverage its medical technology strengths to pioneer healthcare robotics, from surgical systems to sterile manufacturing processes.
In the Midlands, a specialised centre could leverage the region’s automotive heritage to pioneer advanced manufacturing robotics, building on decades of expertise in production line automation. The South could build on its strengths in aerospace and defence, developing robotics for precision manufacturing and testing. Each centre would combine research facilities, testing capabilities, and training programmes to create innovation ecosystems serving the specific needs of their local industrial bases.
A network of this size and depth requires comprehensive support. A coordinated skills strategy must ensure the UK develops expertise to design, programme, maintain, and operate advanced robotics systems. This includes embedding robotics in education from primary school onwards, creating new vocational qualifications in robotics manufacturing, and integrating robotics modules into existing qualifications across health and social care, construction, agriculture, energy, and engineering.
The Industrial Strategy must also address procurement barriers, particularly within large state-funded organisations like the NHS, where complex pathways slow adoption of innovative solutions. Reform should include specific provisions for robotics adoption, similar to environmental impact assessments in public tenders. Additionally, cybersecurity frameworks must be established to ensure robust protection as robotics systems become more interconnected and integral to critical infrastructure.
As the Tony Blair Institute’s recent report on ‘next-wave robotics’ emphasises: “The challenge of responding is so urgent, the risk of falling behind other countries so great, and the opportunities so exciting, that nothing less will do.” The UK, with our track record in innovation and engineering excellence, has the potential to lead the global robotics revolution – but scaling these capabilities and realising our collective ambition requires bold policy vision and decisive government action.
We must choose: become an active producer of robotics technology, creating high-skilled jobs and driving economic growth across our regions, or remain a passive consumer as other nations seize the opportunities ahead. The evidence and urgency are clear. The Industrial Strategy must provide the framework for Britain to become a true robotics nation, turning our world-class innovation into world-leading industrial capability.
