__________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Robotics
our premises , while collaborators from further afield are tapping into our expertise remotely .
Yet R & D needs to be backed up with manufacturing prowess . If the wider UK economy and workforce are to benefit from the development of RAS then we need to have design studios and factories that can take proven concepts through to mass production .
Britain is faced with a stark choice – we can either import the robots that we need from countries such as China , Japan , Germany , or the United States or we can build them here , generating highly-skilled and well-paid jobs and stimulating the supply chains that will fuel those factories . Domestic resilience can then also be the first step in creating an engine for export , sending our RAS overseas to help improve lives and boost economies abroad too .
Collaboration is key
The size of the prize is truly astounding . In 2021 , the Department for Business , Innovation & Industrial Strategy ( BEIS ) calculated that if current adoption rates continue then RAS could add £ 6.4 billion of gross value to the UK economy by 2035 – but if full automation was embraced then that figure could soar to just shy of £ 150 billion .
BEIS ’ s report , The economic impact of robotics and autonomous systems across UK sectors , outlined the impact that RAS could have across a broad range of industries , from agriculture , construction , and food and drink , all the way through to health and social care , warehouse logistics , and energy and infrastructure . Full automation could bring massive opportunities in particular for construction (£ 46.8bn ), health and social care (£ 34.2bn ), and energy and infrastructure (£ 23.4bn ). manufacturing-today . com 29