Robotics Adoption Hub Partners Meet at UWTSD to Drive Innovation and Growth for Welsh Businesses
The University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) has welcomed partners from the Robotics Adoption Hub - South Wales to its SA1 Waterfront campus for a strategic planning event focused on supporting Welsh businesses to adopt robotics and automation technologies.
Led by UWTSD and funded through Innovate UK’s national Robotics Adoption Programme, the Hub brings together expertise from industry, academia and technology providers to help businesses identify opportunities for automation, improve productivity, and strengthen competitiveness.
Based at the Swansea campus, the Hub will provide businesses with access to robotics demonstrations, specialist advice, testing environments, and practical guidance before investing in new technologies.
The funded consortium comprises Avallan, Broadreach Integrity, Didactic Services, Majotech Partnership, PoET Systems, ProMaterial, Sutro Group and VodafoneThree. The Hub is also supported by organisations including Universal Robots, Omron, Boston Dynamics, ABB, and TWI Wales, which have committed expertise, facilities, and industry knowledge to the programme.
The partnership combines expertise in spanning robotics, manufacturing and process improvement, industrial inspection and asset integrity, simulation and digital modelling, AI-enabled inspection, connectivity and data, skills and workforce development, finance, systems integration, and real-world deployment.
During the event, partners discussed how they will help organisations identify operational challenges, evaluate automation opportunities, and develop the skills required to support successful adoption.
Lisa Lucas, Head of Innovation and Engagement Services at UWTSD, said:
“What’s really exciting is the range of expertise we now have coming together around the Hub. We’ve got partners covering everything from robotics and automation through to simulation, inspection, connectivity, skills, finance, and deployment.
“For me, the impact is helping companies become more competitive, more productive, and more efficient. That can mean much bigger economic gains for Wales.”
The Robotics Adoption Hub will primarily support businesses operating in manufacturing and related sectors, including inspection, fabrication, and renewable energy. Through its network of partners and outreach activity, the Hub will also extend support to businesses across Wales.
The Hub’s approach is centred on business need rather than technology adoption for its own sake. Each engagement will begin with an assessment of organisational challenges, operational processes, workforce skills, and readiness to invest.
Graham Howe, Managing Partner at Avallan Ltd, said:
“I’m genuinely excited for Avallan to be part of the Robotics Adoption Hub. It’s about finding out where the bottlenecks are, looking at how to reduce them and then automating what’s left. We don’t help a company automate for automation’s sake. It’s about people, process, and technology, in that order.
“What makes the Hub special is the people around the table. Between us there’s decades of real experience on the shop floor, in engineering and in industry, and everyone shares the same goal of improving robot adoption in the region. That means we can work through those questions with a business and bring in the right expertise to help them take the next step.”
Simulation technologies will play an important role in helping businesses evaluate potential automation solutions before investing in equipment or making operational changes.
Chris Wyatt, Managing Director at Majotech Partnership Ltd, said:
“Through the Hub, I’ll be taking examples where robotics can be used and creating simulations to verify that robots genuinely add value, improve manufacturing outcomes and deliver a return on investment. If we can prove all that inside the computer first, we can save businesses from making wrong decisions.”
The Hub will also provide opportunities for businesses to learn directly from organisations already integrating robotics into their operations. One such organisation is ProMaterial, which is expanding its use of robotics within AI-enabled materials inspection processes.
Shawn Lee, Chief Technology Officer at ProMaterial Ltd, said:
“We’re really glad to be part of the Hub because we specialise in AI inspection of materials and are now bringing robotics into our automation process. We can share our experience of using robotics to make the process fully automated and demonstrate how it works in practice, helping other companies understand how they could benefit.”
Amanda Lock, Business Manager for Wales, VodafoneThree, said:
“We’re looking forward to bringing our connectivity and digital expertise to the partnership, helping provide the reliable infrastructure businesses need to adopt new technologies, improve productivity and support future growth.”
As businesses adopt robotics and automation technologies, measuring performance and return on investment will be critical.
Philip Roberts, Managing Director at PoET Systems Ltd, said:
“We are very excited to be involved with the Robotics Hub. Technology is a serious financial investment for any organisation, and its performance should be measured and reported like that of any other resource, which is where we come in.”
Alongside supporting businesses, the Hub will deliver training and skills development opportunities to help employees introduce, operate, and maintain new technologies. UWTSD students and apprentices will also gain hands-on experience with industrial robotics systems, helping to develop the future workforce needed to support advanced manufacturing and automation across Wales.
Through collaboration between industry, technology providers and academia, the Hub aims to accelerate the adoption of robotics and automation across South Wales, helping businesses boost productivity, strengthen competitiveness, and unlock future growth opportunities.
Businesses interested in exploring how robotics and automation could support their operations or learning more about the support available through the Robotics Adoption Hub - South Wales, can contact roboticshub@uwtsd.ac.uk.
Further Information
Rebecca Davies
Executive Press and Media Relations Officer
Corporate Communications and PR
Email: rebecca.davies@uwtsd.ac.uk
Phone: 07384 467071