Scotland could be on the brink of losing out in the multi-billion-pound robotics boom unless it urgently tackles barriers stalling homegrown innovation, a leading tech expert has warned. A new four-point plan hopes to change that — but the clock is ticking.
Robotics Chief Warns Scotland is Slipping Behind
It was a stark message, and Stewart Miller didn’t sugar-coat it.
Speaking from the National Robotarium at Heriot-Watt University, Miller, who leads the cutting-edge research facility, said Scotland risks being “left behind” while countries like China and the US power ahead in the robotics space.
The numbers are hard to ignore. Germany installs eight times more robots than the UK. Asia commands a staggering 72% of all global robot installations. Meanwhile, the UK languishes at 24th place in industrial robot use.
Scotland’s strength? According to Miller — “We’ve got talent, ideas, engineering excellence… but we’re not turning that into economic wins fast enough.”
Bureaucracy Chokes Scottish Startups
Here’s where things start to fall apart: brilliant ideas are being built in Scotland, but the commercial wins are landing elsewhere.
Startups like BioLiberty — a neurotech firm developing robotic aids for stroke recovery — have struggled to get traction at home. So they’re scaling in North America instead.
Why? Procurement headaches. Particularly in healthcare, where NHS Scotland’s complex and slow procurement rules make it tough for small companies to get their foot in the door.
The result?
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Scottish taxpayers fund innovation
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Products get exported early
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Foreign markets scale and profit from the ideas
It’s a frustration that keeps coming up in Miller’s conversations with founders and engineers across the country.
A Four-Point Plan to Rescue Robotics
That’s why Miller has launched a new national strategy paper: Making Scotland a World Leader in Robotics. It’s not a whiteboard dream. It’s sharp, focused — and it comes with four clear proposals:
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Create Robotics Scotland, a central national body to coordinate progress.
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Establish a National Healthcare Robotics Initiative to unlock NHS adoption.
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Launch a Marine Robotics Innovation Programme aimed at offshore wind and deep-sea industries.
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Develop a Robotics Skills Strategy to prepare workers and attract global talent.
Each is designed to tackle a bottleneck Miller says is holding Scotland back — whether it’s policy, talent, or opportunity.
“Other countries have already done this. Denmark, Australia, Singapore — they’re eating our lunch,” he said.
Missed Markets and Untapped Potential
The numbers are dizzying. If UK automation matched leading global benchmarks, we could see a 22% productivity increase, translating to a whopping £184 billion gain over 10 years.
In healthcare, Miller says NHS Scotland alone could save £21.7 million annually if robotics tools were adopted at scale. The market is expected to reach £3.4 billion in the UK by 2028.
And yet, thousands of businesses — especially SMEs — are still operating without any form of robotics. Here’s a breakdown:
| Sector | Missed Market Potential | Key Barrier |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare (NHS Scotland) | £21.7 million/year | Procurement complexity |
| Manufacturing SMEs | 20,000+ unautomated | Lack of adoption support |
| Offshore Wind Operations | £341 million/year (by 2030) | Underdeveloped marine robotics sector |
One sentence here: It’s a goldmine, but the tools to dig are still in the shed.
Marine and Manufacturing Could Be Scotland’s Trump Cards
According to Miller’s report, three sectors stand out.
Let’s start with offshore renewables. Scotland already leads in offshore wind — and the marine robotics potential is enormous. Just managing underwater cables, turbines, and seafloor inspections could create a £341 million market by 2030. Scotland’s waters are basically an R&D testbed waiting to happen.
Manufacturing? That’s the big fish. Thousands of firms, especially in rural areas, are ripe for automation. But they need support — from training to financing to supplier ecosystems.
And healthcare — perhaps the most emotionally compelling case. Robotics can free up clinicians, reduce pressure on hospitals, and support patients at home. But none of that happens if startup technology can’t reach the health service in the first place.
“We’re spending millions developing things that never get used here,” Miller said. “It’s madness.”
The National Robotarium: A Glimpse of What’s Possible
The good news? The Robotarium is proving this stuff works.
Since launching in 2022, it has:
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Supported over 100 jobs
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Nurtured 14 new robotics startups
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Delivered real-world tests in everything from construction to elder care
It’s a model that could be replicated across sectors and regions. And with a proper national framework — Robotics Scotland, for instance — that success could scale.
Miller insists the potential is just scratching the surface. But he’s quick to remind people: potential doesn’t equal progress.
A Final Plea: “We Have the Brains — Do We Have the Will?”
There’s no sugarcoating it. The UK is lagging. Scotland, despite its innovation record, is at risk of becoming a brilliant ideas factory… for other people’s economies.
Miller’s message lands like a cold splash of reality.
“We have the building blocks: universities, labs, companies, people,” he said. “But unless we act — really act — we’ll spend the next decade watching others cash in on our inventions.”
It’s not just a tech story. It’s a national strategy question.
And time is short.
