Simon Kirby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-04-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what research and development into the commercial application of robotics his Department funds; and if he will make a statement.

Mr David Willetts

This Department has worked with the Technology Strategy Board’s (TSB) Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Special Interest Group to develop a National Strategy for robotics in the UK, which will identify commercial opportunities in key sectors of the Government’s Industrial Strategy.

The Department and its partner organisations fund research and development into the commercial application of robotics as follows:

BIS

This Department is currently providing funding of £1.5m to support the development of autonomous road vehicles. The consortium (which includes Oxford and Cambridge Universities, the Transport Systems Catapult and other partners) will develop small pod-like vehicles capable of carrying up to 2 passengers and which will ultimately be capable of autonomous operations.

BIS has previously funded a two year automation programme with the British Automation and Robot Association that ended in September 2013. The £600k programme over two years enabled the provision of a one day manufacturing review and diagnostic to small and medium-sized enterprises on the potential to apply robotics and automation in their businesses. The programme also provided the opportunity for more detailed interventions. Over 268 one day reviews were carried out, and more detailed interventions accounted for a further 282 days of advice.

Research Councils

The Research Councils current investment into research related to the commercial application of robotics is £36.5m, which includes a £10m investment through the Natural Environment Research Council into Marine Autonomous Systems.

Technology Strategy Board

The TSB is the prime channel through which Government supports business-led technology innovation. Since 2010 it has invested £8 million in robotics and robotics related projects, helping business develop and commercialise new products and services.

The TSB is arranging an entrepreneur-led overseas delegation to the US in June 2014 to develop the UK’s brand in robotics and to engage with the rapidly growing robotics cluster in San Francisco and San Diego. This creates a real opportunity for UK robotics companies to capitalise on this growth and take a lead in integrating their technologies in a range of markets that could exploit them. The message behind the mission is that the UK is open for business and has innovative robotics companies that are interested in the US market and are ready to engage in dialogue, form partnerships and do business in the international arena.

In addition, the Government (through TSB) has previously funded research and demonstration of civil Unmanned Aerial Vehicles through the £62m ASTRAEA programme over the past seven years. The programme has made possible the ‘unmanned’ flight of a Jetstream 31 from Lancashire to Inverness, clocking up to 2,500 miles in flights between Lancashire and Inverness and around the Irish Sea.

UK Space Agency

The UK Space Agency encourages and supports companies and research organisations to spin-out technology developed through space exploration into non-space sectors. The funding provided by the Agency is for feasibility studies. The relevant studies funded are:

• the application of Mars rover autonomous navigation for large off road vehicles; and
• development of Auto-Resonant Control System.