October 2019

www.smartmachinesandfactories.com October 2019 | 47 | | INTERVIEWS & REPORTS | Government to lead the way in the Fourth Industrial Revolution means other countries will seize the initiative and take the advantage of new technologies – not least the growth and jobs they bring – while we are left behind.” They accuse the Government of not having addressed the potential for boosting automation to help tackle the UK’s relatively poor productivity and to improve living standards in the country. They recommend that, by the end this year, the Government should develop a UK Robot and AI Strategy to improve the take-up of automation and to support British industry. They say it is “clear to us” that the future of manufacturing in the UK depends on higher levels of productivity. Robotics and automation offer the possibility to enhance productivity and thus to support higher production and more jobs in the UK. The MPs say that some of the barriers to automation identified by UK businesses are real, and they offer suggestions on how they can be overcome. But they also believe that some of the barriers are “issues of perception”. They suggest that the Government should work with the automation industry and with businesses who have introduced automation to make information and case studies on the costs and benefits of automation available to other businesses. They believe that the Made Smarter initiative has the potential to boost UK productivity among SMEs by adopting new technology, and while the take-up of the North West pilot has been “impressive”, overall progress has been slow. They recommend that the Government provides a timeline for evaluating the North West pilot and that it commits to a fully-funded roll- out of the scheme across the UK, based on the results. The MPs contend that a lack of awareness and understanding of automation is harming productivity, especially among SMEs. They condemn the Government’s decision to close the Manufacturing Advice Service in 2015 as “a mistake” which has contributed to making it more difficult for businesses to find help and advice. They recommend that the Government funds an impartial source of advice for businesses that want to invest in automation. The committee calls for a UK robot strategy that should form part of the Government’s industrial strategy, and for robotics to be considered an integral part of the Grand Challenges it is pursuing. It regards the lack of focus on automation, beyond AI, in the Government’s industrial strategy as “a missed opportunity” which strengthens the case for a UK robot strategy supporting British innovation and encouraging the adoption of automation. Such a strategy should include actions to help UK automation businesses to grow and remain in the UK. The MPs say that the Government, having ignored calls to support leadership for the automation sector, now has a chance to rethink its attitude. Using the sector deals approach, it can bring the industry together, drive investment, and demonstrate support for a sector in which the UK can be a world leader. They recommend that the Government establish a robotics leadership group, co-chaired by a minister and an industry leader, to bring together Government, business and academia in support of a robotics sector deal. Another recommendation is that the government should introduce tax incentives to encourage investment in technologies such as automation and robotics, and should prioritise adoption of automation by SMEs. Such incentives would benefit both individual businesses and the economy as a whole. Turning to the issue of UK technology businesses being bought up by overseas investors, the MPs recommend that the Government and universities should work with spinout businesses to offer an alternative to selling-off, including help with access to finance, networking and business advice. On the topic of skills, the report says that unless, and until, the Government and business act to create a pipeline of UK researchers and workers who can support the domestic automation industry, we will need to recruit from overseas. The Government’s immigration policy should therefore provide certainty and ensure that as we leave the EU, we can recruit and retain researchers from around the world to support the sector, including where they earn below the £30,000 threshold recommended by the Migration Advisory Committee. The MPs point out that automation research benefits from international collaboration, and while they welcome commitments to maintain and replicate EU funding when the UK leaves the EU, “this is no substitute for the collaboration that comes from joint Making the UK a leader in service robotics The House of Commons committee believes that the UK could become a leader in the market for service robots, with British universities collaborating with partners around the globe to provide new technologies that improve our lives. The MPs believe that, given the success of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult focused on industrial automation and robotics, there is an untapped potential for a similar model for service robotics, “where the UK has a chance to lead globally by building on academic excellence”. They recommend that the Government works with research institutions to consider establishing a service robotics Catapult. Located outside of London and the South East, such a Catapult could help to create a robotics cluster – ideally near a university or technical hub – to encourage public and private funding and to support British robotics businesses and others that could benefits from diffusing new technologies.