New £3.67m Yorkshire Robotics Hub will help manufacturers bridge automation gap
The University of Huddersfield is part of a new £3.67 million Yorkshire Robotics Adoption Hub to help manufacturers adopt robotics and automation technologies after the project secured £2.75 million in funding from Innovate UK.
The Hub is designed to address one of the biggest barriers to productivity in UK industry and brings together the University of Bradford as lead, with the University of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire Manufacturing Services (WYMS) and Olympus Technologies, alongside a wider network of manufacturers, technology partners and regional stakeholders.
The Hub has been created in response to a growing adoption gap within UK manufacturing. While 73% of manufacturing SMEs say they intend to invest in automation, relatively few progress to implementation. The UK currently operates around 104 robots per 10,000 manufacturing employees, significantly below the global average of 177.
The Yorkshire Robotics Adoption Hub will help businesses move from initial interest through feasibility, business case development and supplier selection to full deployment. The 42-month programme aims to engage more than 300 manufacturers, deliver 80 feasibility studies and support at least 30 robotics deployments.
Professor Andrew Longstaff, Research Director at the University of Huddersfield’s Centre for Precision Technologies and Hub lead for the University, commented: “Yorkshire’s manufacturers have enormous potential to benefit from robotics and automation, but many need support to identify the right technologies and implement them successfully. The Yorkshire Robotics Adoption Hub will bring together expertise from industry and academia to help businesses make informed decisions and adopt solutions with confidence.
“By accelerating the uptake of proven robotics and automation technologies, we can strengthen productivity, resilience, and competitiveness across the region. In doing so, we aim to create lasting impact that extends beyond Yorkshire and contributes to the future growth of manufacturing across the UK.”
Professor Ben Whiteside, Principal Investigator, Director of the Institute of Digital and Sustainable Futures at the University of Bradford, commented: "Yorkshire has one of the strongest manufacturing bases in the country, yet too many businesses still struggle to move from interest in robotics to successful deployment.
"The challenge isn't that companies don't want to automate. The challenge is that many lack the time, expertise or confidence to take the next step.
"This Hub brings together universities, manufacturers, technology providers and business support organisations to bridge that gap. By helping businesses adopt proven technologies, we can improve productivity, strengthen supply chains and support long-term economic growth across the region.”
The project combines academic expertise in robotics, AI, digital twins, machine vision and advanced manufacturing with practical industrial experience, creating what partners believe is a unique route to adoption for manufacturing SMEs.
The Hub is grounded in real industrial demand. Major manufacturers, including Myton Food Group and Groupe Atlantic, will provide live use cases, access to supply chains of over 300 regional suppliers, and routes to scale adoption, ensuring a demand-led programme embedded in operational environments.
The Hub will operate across Yorkshire, focused on the M62 and M1/A1 industrial corridors, where manufacturing activity is most concentrated. The consortium is supported by regional and national stakeholders, including West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) and Made Smarter Yorkshire & Humber, confirming strategic alignment and market demand.
Centre of excellence
The Centre for Precision Technologies at the University of Huddersfield is a centre of excellence for collaborative research in advanced manufacturing, with a focus on evaluating and enhancing performance. Its researchers are at the forefront of applying metrology, the science and practice of measurement, to solve real-world manufacturing problems through cutting-edge research in precision engineering.
Scientists and engineers within the CPT are also making step-changes in new measurement instruments and techniques. Its highly innovative research and strong links with industry resulted in the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) designating the CPT as a National Centre of Excellence in Advanced Metrology in 2011. The CPT has been awarded EPSRC critical mass investments on three successive occasions and is currently home to the Future Advanced Metrology Hub for Sustainable Manufacturing.