FEATURE Automated warehousing
CAN ROBOTS SOLVE THE UK’S ‘PRODUCTIVITY PUZZLE’?
Alan Conn, Managing Director of ABB Robotics UK & Ireland, looks at the factors that could mark a turning point for the uptake of robotic automation in the UK
I
t has been a long time coming, but it seems like attitudes towards robotic automation in the UK may finally be changing. In the last few months especially, we’ve seen an
increased level of discussion in various industry groups and forums with people keen to find out about the latest developments in robotic technology and how they can be applied in an expanding range of applications, from manufacturing and logistics to retail. The real question is why now? Despite the
first robots having appeared on factory floors over 50 years ago, uptake in the UK has been slow, with the country being the only G7 nation outside of the top 20 in the International Federation of Robotics’ annual league table of robot adopting nations. While there has been a steady rise in the number of robots on UK factory floors, the UK still has just 119 robots per 10,000 workers (Source: International Federation Of Robotics, W
orld Robotics report 2024), well
below the global average of 151 and far behind China, Japan, USA, South Korea and Germany which collectively accounted for 80% of global robot installations in 2024. One reason is the need to find a way to solve the UK’s so-called ‘Productivity Puzzle’. Since the 2008 financial crisis, output per hour has struggled to recover to previous levels, with productivity estimated to be around 26% lower than it would have been based on pre-2008 trends. A reluctance to invest in new technologies, in particular, has led to a growing gap between the output of UK workforces compared to that of our international competitors who are using the latest production equipment, including robots. While other nations have treated automation
32 June 2026 | Automation
as a sustained productivity investment, UK manufacturers have historically relied more heavily on labour availability. Added to this is a shortage of skilled workers able to use automated technologies. In our 2023 survey of 250 UK manufacturing companies across multiple sectors, 30% expressed the need for staff training to enable them to use robots, highlighting a lack of in-house skills as a barrier to investment With analysis suggesting that robotics and digital technologies could add up to £150billion to UK GDP over the next decade, while delivering improved productivity and efficiency, there is good reason to believe that 2026 may mark the dawn of a new era in the uptake of robotic automation in the UK. The recent launch of the new Industrial Strategy signalled an awareness of the importance of robots as part of an overall mix of advanced manufacturing technologies, including AI. The Strategy will unlock millions of pounds of investment in initiatives including Robotics Adoption Hubs that will make it easier for companies to acquire the equipment, skills and access to expertise that will enable them to adopt robots. While there is some debate over whether the Strategy is delivering change quickly enough, as ABB we are seeing an increased level of discussion and enquiries, indicating an injection of new energy into the market. With a lack of skills in programming and operating robots estimated to be the reason preventing 75% of UK manufacturing SMEs from investing in robots, there is a clear need for robots to be as easy to use and deploy and work with as possible.
Over the past decade, robots have already become progressively easier to use with features such as simplified programming and an expanded range of collaborative and portable options that can be deployed alongside human workforces. Today, the next wave of innovation is being driven by the integration of AI, advanced sensing and more powerful control platforms, delivering new capabilities that are fundamentally changing what robots can do and how quickly they can be deployed.
ABB, for example, is advancing AI-enabled
robotics that can perceive, learn and adapt to dynamic environments rather than operating only within fixed, pre-programmed routines. Its Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), equipped with Visual Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping (vSLAM) technology, can navigate complex industrial spaces without the need for physical guides such as magnetic strips or QR codes. Using onboard cameras and AI-based perception, these systems create real-time maps of their surroundings, allowing them to reroute around obstacles, adapt to layout changes and safely work alongside people. This flexibility significantly lowers the barrier to automation while enabling scalable intralogistics solutions. Building on this capability, ABB is also developing Autonomous Versatile Robots (AVRs), which combine autonomous navigation with manipulation skills to perform a wider range of value-added tasks beyond material transport. By integrating mobile platforms with intelligent robotic arms, AVRs can handle activities such as machine tending, kitting, assembly support and inspection while
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