11 Feb 2025
by Rory Daniels

Robotics Growth Partnership publishes Smart Machines Strategy 2035

The Smart Machines 2035 Strategy provides a roadmap to position the UK as a global leader in robotics and Smart Machines. It highlights their transformative potential to address pressing societal challenges, enhance economic productivity, and establish national leadership in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

This 10-year plan builds on the UK’s strengths in research, innovation, and entrepreneurship, laying out strategic goals and actionable steps to unlock the full potential of robotics and Smart Machines.

Lord Patrick Vallance, Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation and a keynote speaker at techUK's 2024 Tech & Innovation Summitwelcomed the strategy in a letter to David Lane and Paul Clarke, Co-Chairs of the Robotics Growth Partnership.

The Robotics Growth Partnership is an independent advisory body established by government in 2019 with the aim of putting the UK at the cutting edge of the global smart robotics revolution, boosting economic productivity and unlocking benefits across society.

This ambition is strongly aligned with the aims of techUK's upcoming Robotics & Automation sprint campaign, which will identify the key Robotics & Automation technologies of the future, explore how they'll be developed, applied and commercialised, and make recommendations regarding how the UK can lead on them moving forward.

You can find out more about this sprint campaign and hear from Gordon Baker, Policy lead for Robotics at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), by attending techUK's Robotics & Automation Sector Meetup event on the evening of 25 February.

You can read the full Smart Machines 2035 Strategy here.



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The UK is home to emerging technologies that have the power to revolutionise entire industries. From quantum to semiconductors; from gaming to the New Space Economy, they all have the unique opportunity to help prepare for what comes next.

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Activity includes workshops, roundtables, panel discussions, networking sessions, Summits, and flagship reports (setting out recommendations for Government and industry).

Each campaign runs for 4-6 months and features regular collaborations with programmes across techUK. 

techUK's latest sprint campaign is on Robotic & Automation technologies. Find out how to get involved by clicking here.

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Running from September to November 2023, this campaign explored how the UK can lead on the development, application and commercialisation of space technologies, bring more non-space companies into the sector, and ultimately realise the benefits of the New Space Economy.

These technologies include AI, quantum, lasers, robotics & automation, advanced propulsion and materials, and semiconductors.

Activity has taken the form of roundtables, panel discussions, networking sessions, Summits, thought leadership pieces, policy recommendations, and a report. The report, containing member case studies and policy recommendations, was launched in March 2024 at Satellite Applications Catapult's Harwell campus.

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Rory Daniels

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Gaming & Esports

Running from January to May 2024, this sprint campaign explored how the UK can lead on the development, application and commercialisation of the technologies set to underpin the Gaming & Esports sector of the future.

These include AI, augmented / virtual / mixed / extended reality, haptics, cloud & edge computing, semiconductors, and advanced connectivity (5/6G).

Activity took the form of roundtables, panel discussions, networking sessions, Summits, and thought leadership pieces. A report featuring member case studies and policy recommendations was launched at The National Videogame Museum in November 2024.

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Rory Daniels

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These include blockchain, smart contracts, digital assets, augmented / virtual / mixed / extended reality, spatial computing, haptics and holograms.

Activity took the form of roundtables, workshops, panel discussions, networking sessions, tech demos, Summits, thought leadership pieces, policy recommendations, and a report (to be launched in 2025).

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Rory Daniels

Rory Daniels

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Rory Daniels

Rory Daniels

Programme Manager, Emerging Technologies, techUK

Rory joined techUK in June 2023 after three years in the Civil Service on its Fast Stream leadership development programme.

During this time, Rory worked on the Government's response to Covid-19 (NHS Test & Trace), school funding strategy (Department for Education) and international climate and nature policy (Cabinet Office). He also tackled the social care crisis whilst on secondment to techUK's Health and Social Care programme in 2022.

Before this, Rory worked in the House of Commons and House of Lords alongside completing degrees in Political Economy and Global Politics.

Today, he is techUK's Programme Manager for Emerging Technologies, covering dozens of technologies including metaverse, drones, future materials, robotics, blockchain, space technologies, nanotechnology, gaming tech and Web3.0.

Email:
[email protected]
Website:
www.techuk.org/
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rorydaniels28/

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