Stewart Miller, CEO of the National Robotarium at Heriot-Watt University, speaks to Scotland’s capabilities in the robotics sector in a contributed piece in The Scotsman.
Scotland faces a perfect storm of economic challenges. With nearly three-quarters of businesses expecting weak economic growth and 83% of companies reporting higher business costs, we need transformative solutions that address multiple pressures simultaneously. One answer lies in implementing the ‘robotics cluster’ that Scotland’s Innovation Strategy identified as a national priority in 2023.
Unlike other emerging technologies that serve narrow applications, robotics has the potential to strengthen all pillars of Scotland’s economy at once. In our NHS, where workforce shortages threaten service delivery, robots are already supporting stroke rehabilitation and combating social isolation in care settings in England – but not yet in Scotland.
In manufacturing, which employs 170,000 Scots and drives over half our nation’s international exports, automation could boost productivity by 22 per cent if the UK matched global leaders. For our offshore wind sector, which has been boosted by the recent approval of Berwick Bank, subsea robotic maintenance systems can reduce human exposure to hazardous conditions while helping slash fuel consumption of maintenance missions by up to 90 per cent.
The economic multiplier effect is profound. When robotics solutions are deployed effectively, they create high-skilled jobs across the supply chain while building export capabilities. This is the virtuous cycle we must systematically replicate across Scotland’s economy.
A robotics cluster would bring together our existing innovation assets – research centres, industry organisations, and government agencies – into a unified network. Rather than companies struggling alone to navigate from prototype to production, they would access shared expertise, coordinated funding streams, and streamlined routes to market through reformed public procurement.
Currently, despite having world-class resources like the National Robotarium at Heriot-Watt University, the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland, and STAC – Scotland’s industry-led accelerator for deep tech startups – dozens of Scottish robotics companies working at the cutting-edge still struggle to scale from innovation to manufacturing. We’re funding brilliant R&D but missing opportunities to capture the economic benefits when Scottish ingenuity succeeds.
The solution framework already exists. Rather than requiring new funding, implementing the cluster would coordinate the application of the £321 million already allocated for enterprise technology support by the current Scottish Government, plus an additional £15 million Enterprise Package targeting deeptech clusters. The National Robotarium, which I’m proud to lead, demonstrates what’s possible. Since launching just three years ago, it’s supported over 100 jobs, incubated 14 companies, and gained international recognition from the World Economic Forum and the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. We must now scale this proven approach.
The global robotics market is expected to surge to $218 billion by 2030, and Scotland has everything needed to capture our share: world-class research, innovative companies, and committed funding. What we lack is a cluster framework to connect them. Other nations are racing ahead with coordinated robotics strategies – Scotland must implement its cluster now or watch this transformative opportunity pass to our competitors. The choice is ours.
Source: The Scotsman