The UK's network of robotics research technicians is getting a dedicated programme to boost their skills, careers, and recognition. This matters because the UK robotics market is forecast to grow more than 40% per year through the 2020s, reaching nearly £3.5 billion by 2030. Yet the research technicians who build, maintain, and program the robots—managing equipment, manufacturing parts, and writing software—have lacked a coordinated system for career development and knowledge sharing. The existing UKRAS network has already brought together 37 university partners, but has not focused specifically on the technicians who enable the research. If successful, UKRAS-STEP will create a thriving, professionally managed community for these technicians. It will offer training, networking, national advocacy, and international collaboration. The result would be a larger, more skilled, and better-recognised technical workforce that can support cutting-edge robotics research across the UK. This could accelerate advances in manufacturing, healthcare, infrastructure inspection, and other sectors where robots are increasingly used—without requiring the reader to imagine a specific robot in their home.
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Robotic and Autonomous Systems (RAS) will enhance every aspect of our lives, revolutionizing industries and transforming the way we live, work, and interact. The classification of RAS includes Advanced Robotics, Smart Machines, and Embedded AI. The UK market for RAS is forecasted to grow >40% per annum between 2020 & 2030, reaching almost £3.5 billion by 2030. The UK has world class research excellence in RAS enabled by research technicians undertaking tasks such as managing equipment, H&S, manufacturing of parts, and coding of software for robots. The EPSRC UKRAS Network was established in 2015 and, since its formation, has provided academic and administrative leadership that has helped transform the UK's RAS research landscape, bringing the community together, strengthening areas of national importance and creating stronger links between academia, industry and government funding bodies. UKRAS has created a highly collegiate network that has grown to 37 university partners. UKRAS STEP builds on this successful and established ecosystem within UKRAS, but focuses its efforts on the recognition, support and development of RAS research technicians (RT). Specifically, enhancing individual technical knowledge, skills and career development, as well as transforming the UK environment for research technicians through: Enhancing Individual Technical Knowledge, Skills, and career development of RT in RAS in the UK. Transform the UK environment for RT through networking, shared knowledge, community driven activities, celebrating and publicising success, international collaboration, and national advocacy. Deliver a flagship programme that is professionally managed to be inclusive, ethical, programmatically sustainable, and environmentally conscious. UKSTEP will cultivate a thriving, dynamic, and vibrant community of research technicians in the field of RAS. This community will not only support and elevate cutting-edge RAS research in the UK but also foster a sizable, highly skilled, driven, and esteemed research technician network.
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