Robotics Adoption Programme skills development

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), will invest a minimum of £2.5 million from UKRI and the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology to create and deliver course content and materials that will support skills, talent and training in robotics. This will bridge the skills gap to address the lack of skilled workers able to specify, procure, integrate, operate and maintain robotics. This competition is part of a £52 million Robotics Adoption Programme designed to complement and feed into a new network of Robotics Adoption Hubs. For this competition, robotics is defined broadly to include drones operating on land, sea and air; autonomous plant and service robots; and industrial robots or automated machinery that use sensors, actuators and control software. Opportunities could include apprenticeships and internships, upskilling and reskilling of existing workforce, technical courses and vocational training, undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing professional development (CPD), and schools engagement. Proposals must identify or deliver a clear intervention addressing an identified industrial requirement, improvement or opportunity. Projects must realistically and significantly meet and provide a long term commitment to supporting UK robotics adoption, with clear mechanisms for reaching end users or students. Applicants must commit to creating and maintaining the resource on an ongoing basis for a minimum period of 3 years after the funded project completion.