The UK government has announced plans to support the country’s robotics and defence industries by cutting existing red tape and providing them with more funding.
As part of measures to boost Britain’s economy and defences, the Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) is now prioritising support for companies developing robotic and defence technologies.
Launched in 2024 by the Labour administration, RIO is run by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to make it easier for innovators to bring new technologies to market and ultimately sustain them during difficult economic times.
According to the government office, the robotics and defence sectors are currently constrained by archaic and fragmented rules.
For example, an inspection drone manufacturer would need the greenlight from several different bodies – including aviation and data protection – to get up and running. It is an endeavour that the RIO says “takes months” and costs firms “significant resources”.
To make things easier for these companies, RIO is now providing them with access to a new portal for highlighting rules and regulations that threaten their growth.
In another show of support for robotics and defence innovators, the government is planning to open up to five robotics hubs across the country as part of a £52 million competition run by national innovation agency Innovate UK.
Innovate UK will be responsible for selecting universities, companies and public sector organisations to run each hub.
The hubs will have an annual budget of £2 million each for four years and will provide advice, networking, demonstrations and funding to support local robotics and defence innovators.
RIO hopes through the scheme to support technologies capable of keeping British workers safe and enhancing their productivity – like robots for analysing nuclear facility pipes – as well as make autonomous patrol vehicles to improve the country’s defences possible.
Lord Vallance, the science minister, said: “From manufacturing to healthcare, robotics can help British businesses work smarter and grow faster.
“These Hubs will make sure companies of all sizes can access the support they need to embrace automation, wherever they are in the country.”
Since its launch, RIO has supported more than 150 businesses across priority areas like AI and space in identifying and removing rules that threaten their ability to get off the ground and succeed.
A key example of the RIO’s work is when it helped the Civil Aviation Body – responsible for ensuring the safety of Britain’s airspace – accelerate drone flight approvals. Consequently, healthcare logistics company Apian is now able to deliver crucial medical supplies in just two minutes using drones – whereas vans would take half an hour.
