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UK’s £22m National Robotarium launches with Tata tie-up

28 September, 2022

The UK’s largest and most advanced r&d facility for robotics and artificial intelligence, the £22.4m National Robotarium, has opened its doors at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland. The centre has also announced an applied engineering and research collaboration with the multi-billion dollar company Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), covering joint research across disciplines including soft robotics, field robotics, cobots and tele-operations.

With the UK robotics sector predicted to grow by more than 40% a year in the coming years, and to reach almost £3.5bn by 2030, the Robotarium is expected to boost the UK’s presence on the global robotics stage, benefiting the UK economy and attracting inward investment. It will bring together academics and companies ranging from start-ups to global businesses.

The purpose-built, 40,000ft² facility houses three r&d areas, providing facilities for: robotics and autonomous systems (RAS); human and robotics interaction (HRI); and high-precision manufacturing. There is also an education hub running a schools outreach programme aimed at attracting young people into careers in robotics.

Under the collaboration agreement with Tata Consultancy Services – part of the India’s largest multinational business group – TCS will work with experts from Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh to create innovative answers to global challenges using cutting-edge robotics and AI research, product design and novel technologies. TCS, which operates in 55 countries, generated revenues of more than $25bn in the year to March 2022. It has a dedicated robotics unit that works with a variety of industries.

“This exciting collaboration is a fitting milestone to announce during the official opening ceremony of the National Robotarium,” says the facility’s CEO, Stewart Miller. “The partnership will enable TCS and the National Robotarium to bring together our vast combined experience and expertise, elevating the robotics and artificial intelligence offering of both organisations as a result.

“We will shortly announce a joint programme of focused research, which will outline some of the future technologies required in the field of robotics and AI,” he adds.

The £22m National Robotarium is being hailed as the UK’s most advanced robotics and AI r&d facility

“This announcement is the first of many for the National Robotarium as we ramp up our global collaborative activities,” Miller continues. “Britain has a long and rich heritage of delivering cutting-edge innovation on the world stage. The opening of this dedicated, state-of-the-art facility is another important milestone in that story and one which I believe demonstrates Scotland and the UK’s role at the forefront of global developments in AI and robotics.”

National Robotarium: Twitter  LinkedIn

Tata Consultancy Services:  Twitter  LinkedIn  Facebook




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