Smart City MK CIC is at the forefront of a consortium that has successfully secured government funding from the Robotics Adoption programme, delivered by Innovate UK, and is part of the UKRI IS8 Advanced Manufacturing Programme. The Milton Keynes Robotics Adoption Hub is one of only eight hubs in a national initiative aimed at accelerating robotics in the UK. This prestigious award further acknowledges Milton Keynes and its tech ecosystem as one of the UK’s leading centres for technology innovation.
The hub will build on previous work in the city, focusing on the deployment of robotics in open and closed public spaces. Milton Keynes is already recognised as a pioneer in deploying robotics and benefits from the Milton Keynes City Council-driven ROBOPASS licencing framework, developed to ensure robust governance in robot deployment.
The consortium delivering the hub is led by Smart City MK CIC, with key partners including Milton Keynes City Council, Cranfield University, The Open University, Beverly Clarke Consulting, Ohmio UK, and Smart City Consultancy. The Hub also boasts an impressive list of supporting partners, including large organisations and local SMEs.
Operating from The Smart City Experience Centre in centre:mk, a leading retail destination with over 22 million visitors annually, the hub benefits from this unique location and the significant investment from centre:mk as a founding partner.
The Milton Keynes Robotics Adoption Hub will serve as a valuable resource for businesses and public sector organisations seeking to understand and adopt robotics and automation technologies, such as autonomous vehicles, drones, and industrial robots. Support will include impartial advice, structured assistance, demonstrations of robotics technologies in action, and connections with industry specialists.
The initiative aims to help organisations identify opportunities to improve productivity, address skills challenges, and drive growth through automation. By making robotics more accessible and understandable, the Hub will empower organisations of all sizes to explore, test, and adopt new technologies with confidence.
Situated in the heart of the Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor, a world-leading innovation corridor, Milton Keynes is a vibrant region for science and technology firms and start-ups. The award reinforces the city's strong credentials in robotics and emerging technology.
With over 300,000 residents and a thriving £13 billion economy featuring more than 2,400 tech businesses, Milton Keynes has a proven track record of embracing innovation and testing new technologies. The city, built with modern planning and technology, is also home to Bletchley Park, historically significant for its role in codebreaking during the Second World War.
