Businesses across the UK's Greater South West will gain dedicated robotics and automation adoption support through a new £9.8 million regional programme. The National Composites Centre (NCC) will lead the one-to-one business advisory service within the Greater South West Robotics Adoption Hub, helping companies explore automation opportunities and build the investment case for adoption.
Key takeaways
- The Hub is led by Bristol Robotics Laboratory through the University of Bristol, with UWE Bristol and NCC as partners, and brings together 23 partners from industry, academia and local government.
- Funding totals £7.2 million from Innovate UK plus £2.6 million from project partners; it is one of eight Robotics Adoption Hubs forming a national network to accelerate robotics adoption.
- NCC advisers will help businesses identify automation opportunities, assess solutions, build investment cases and connect with expertise, finance and wider support, drawing on its advanced manufacturing experience and Made Smarter work with Oxford Innovation Advice.
- Support targets maritime, energy, food and drink, aerospace manufacturing and healthcare, with industrial site visits, demonstration facilities and proof-of-concept activities.
- The Hub is expected to be fully operational by January 2027.
For manufacturers, the programme addresses a common barrier: not the potential of robotics, but where to start, which technologies fit specific operations and whether investment will deliver returns. By connecting adopters, suppliers and innovators, the Hub aims to turn automation opportunities into practical change across the region.
Source: Robotics & Automation News · Published 2026-10-09T20:13:50 · “UK’s National Composites Centre to lead business support for new £9.8 million Greater South West robotics hub”