Latest news with #NationalRobotarium
Zawya
5 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Could robotics and timber tackle Britain's housing challenges?
LONDON - Gigantic robot arms controlled by artificial intelligence glide around a vast factory in Oxfordshire, England, making building frames from timber, one of the world's oldest construction materials. With the British government committed to building 300,000 new homes a year, some housebuilders say that the combination of technology and green materials could help them to overcome challenges from skills shortages to environmental targets. England lags many similar economies in terms of the share of housing accounted for by timber-framed homes. Britain as a whole, meanwhile, is among the slowest adopters of robotics, especially in construction, according to the National Robotarium research institute at Heriot-Watt University. "We're seeing more major housebuilders and small and medium-sized builders embracing timber as a way to ... overcome the skills and carbon challenge," said Alex Goodfellow, CEO of Donaldson Timber Systems (DTS). His business makes timber-frame structures for homes and commercial buildings, including walls, floors and roofs, then sends them to housebuilders for assembly. Its automated production makes for less labour-intensive housebuilding and provides a faster, cheaper and more sustainable alternative to bricks, stone or concrete blocks, the company says. A study by construction surveyors and consultancy Rider Levett Bucknall showed that building with timber is 2.8% cheaper than with masonry. FASTER CONSTRUCTION The DTS factory in Witney, near Oxford in southeast England, makes timber panelling for about 100 homes a week with designs entered digitally using artificial intelligence, reducing the need for paper drawings. DTS says its robotics and lasers enable it to produce pre-assembled sections builders can put together quickly on site. The technology reduces the time needed to build a home by about 10 weeks compared with traditional materials, Goodfellow says. Yet barriers remain to any significant increase in timber homes in England. Amit Patel at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors said the material is not commonly used in England because of difficulties in securing warranties for timber buildings owing to durability concerns. Barratt Homes tried to revive timber usage in the 1980s, but sales were undermined by potential rot and fire vulnerabilities. Andrew Orriss of the Structural Timber Association says that such concerns have been addressed by current building regulation and the STA's fire safety guide. He says that the off-site timber construction sector could help to deliver about a third of the government's target of 300,000 new homes per year - a level not achieved in England since the 1970s. Official government figures show that almost 200,000 new homes were built in England in 2023/24 and the Structural Timber Association said that approximately 40,500 of those were timber-frame homes. Builders including Vistry and Taylor Wimpey have opened or plan to open their own timber-frame manufacturing factory while Bellway plans to use timber in a third of its housing projects by 2030. Reduced environmental impact is another benefit touted by companies. GREENER AND LEANER? Simon Park, head of sustainability at Bellway, said timber absorbs and stores more carbon than it emits and that Bellway's analysis shows breeze blocks - made from concrete and known as cinder blocks in the U.S. - are the biggest carbon emitters among common building materials. Countering that, however, is the origin of the raw materials. About 80% of timber used in the UK is imported, mainly from European countries, while roughly 20% of its brick supply is imported. Concerns also remain over mortgage availability for timber homes, which is likely to improve if the government signals a move towards timber construction, said Riz Malik, mortgage broker at independent financial adviser R3 Wealth. An ageing workforce, meanwhile, highlights the need for more robotics. About a fifth of construction workers in the UK are over 50, according to the Home Builders Federation, with 25% of those set to retire in the coming decade. The government pledged 40 million pounds ($54 million) in June for robotics adoption hubs across various sectors, but Maurice van Sante, senior economist for construction at bank ING, says Britain's construction industry is far behind other countries in robotics use. ING estimates that there were 1.5 robots for every 10,000 construction workers in Europe in 2023, against 0.6 in the U.S. and 0.5 in the UK. As well as filling labour shortages directly, robotics opens up other employment opportunities, says DTS manufacturing director Frank O'Reilly, adding that the company has attracted more interest from tech-savvy younger workers since the factory's introduction of automation and robotics. "It (the technology) encourages young people to consider this as a career," he said. ($1 = 0.7433 pounds)
CNA
6 days ago
- Business
- CNA
Could robotics and timber tackle Britain's housing challenges?
LONDON :Gigantic robot arms controlled by artificial intelligence glide around a vast factory in Oxfordshire, England, making building frames from timber, one of the world's oldest construction materials. With the British government committed to building 300,000 new homes a year, some housebuilders say that the combination of technology and green materials could help them to overcome challenges from skills shortages to environmental targets. England lags many similar economies in terms of the share of housing accounted for by timber-framed homes. Britain as a whole, meanwhile, is among the slowest adopters of robotics, especially in construction, according to the National Robotarium research institute at Heriot-Watt University. "We're seeing more major housebuilders and small and medium-sized builders embracing timber as a way to ... overcome the skills and carbon challenge," said Alex Goodfellow, CEO of Donaldson Timber Systems (DTS). His business makes timber-frame structures for homes and commercial buildings, including walls, floors and roofs, then sends them to housebuilders for assembly. Its automated production makes for less labour-intensive housebuilding and provides a faster, cheaper and more sustainable alternative to bricks, stone or concrete blocks, the company says. A study by construction surveyors and consultancy Rider Levett Bucknall showed that building with timber is 2.8 per cent cheaper than with masonry. FASTER CONSTRUCTION The DTS factory in Witney, near Oxford in southeast England, makes timber panelling for about 100 homes a week with designs entered digitally using artificial intelligence, reducing the need for paper drawings. DTS says its robotics and lasers enable it to produce pre-assembled sections builders can put together quickly on site. The technology reduces the time needed to build a home by about 10 weeks compared with traditional materials, Goodfellow says. Yet barriers remain to any significant increase in timber homes in England. Amit Patel at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors said the material is not commonly used in England because of difficulties in securing warranties for timber buildings owing to durability concerns. Barratt Homes tried to revive timber usage in the 1980s, but sales were undermined by potential rot and fire vulnerabilities. Andrew Orriss of the Structural Timber Association says that such concerns have been addressed by current building regulation and the STA's fire safety guide. He says that the off-site timber construction sector could help to deliver about a third of the government's target of 300,000 new homes per year - a level not achieved in England since the 1970s. Official government figures show that almost 200,000 new homes were built in England in 2023/24 and the Structural Timber Association said that approximately 40,500 of those were timber-frame homes. Builders including Vistry and Taylor Wimpey have opened or plan to open their own timber-frame manufacturing factory while Bellway plans to use timber in a third of its housing projects by 2030. Reduced environmental impact is another benefit touted by companies. GREENER AND LEANER? Simon Park, head of sustainability at Bellway, said timber absorbs and stores more carbon than it emits and that Bellway's analysis shows breeze blocks - made from concrete and known as cinder blocks in the U.S. - are the biggest carbon emitters among common building materials. Countering that, however, is the origin of the raw materials. About 80 per cent of timber used in the UK is imported, mainly from European countries, while roughly 20 per cent of its brick supply is imported. Concerns also remain over mortgage availability for timber homes, which is likely to improve if the government signals a move towards timber construction, said Riz Malik, mortgage broker at independent financial adviser R3 Wealth. An ageing workforce, meanwhile, highlights the need for more robotics. About a fifth of construction workers in the UK are over 50, according to the Home Builders Federation, with 25 per cent of those set to retire in the coming decade. The government pledged 40 million pounds ($54 million) in June for robotics adoption hubs across various sectors, but Maurice van Sante, senior economist for construction at bank ING, says Britain's construction industry is far behind other countries in robotics use. ING estimates that there were 1.5 robots for every 10,000 construction workers in Europe in 2023, against 0.6 in the U.S. and 0.5 in the UK. As well as filling labour shortages directly, robotics opens up other employment opportunities, says DTS manufacturing director Frank O'Reilly, adding that the company has attracted more interest from tech-savvy younger workers since the factory's introduction of automation and robotics. "It (the technology) encourages young people to consider this as a career," he said.
Reuters
6 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Focus: Could robotics and timber tackle Britain's housing challenges?
LONDON, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Gigantic robot arms controlled by artificial intelligence glide around a vast factory in Oxfordshire, England, making building frames from timber, one of the world's oldest construction materials. With the British government committed to building 300,000 new homes a year, some housebuilders say that the combination of technology and green materials could help them to overcome challenges from skills shortages to environmental targets. England lags many similar economies in terms of the share of housing accounted for by timber-framed homes. Britain as a whole, meanwhile, is among the slowest adopters of robotics, especially in construction, according to the National Robotarium research institute at Heriot-Watt University. "We're seeing more major housebuilders and small and medium-sized builders embracing timber as a way to ... overcome the skills and carbon challenge," said Alex Goodfellow, CEO of Donaldson Timber Systems (DTS). His business makes timber-frame structures for homes and commercial buildings, including walls, floors and roofs, then sends them to housebuilders for assembly. Its automated production makes for less labour-intensive housebuilding and provides a faster, cheaper and more sustainable alternative to bricks, stone or concrete blocks, the company says. A study by construction surveyors and consultancy Rider Levett Bucknall showed that building with timber is 2.8% cheaper than with masonry. The DTS factory in Witney, near Oxford in southeast England, makes timber panelling for about 100 homes a week with designs entered digitally using artificial intelligence, reducing the need for paper drawings. DTS says its robotics and lasers enable it to produce pre-assembled sections builders can put together quickly on site. The technology reduces the time needed to build a home by about 10 weeks compared with traditional materials, Goodfellow says. Yet barriers remain to any significant increase in timber homes in England. Amit Patel at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors said the material is not commonly used in England because of difficulties in securing warranties for timber buildings owing to durability concerns. Barratt Homes (BTRW.L), opens new tab tried to revive timber usage in the 1980s, but sales were undermined by potential rot and fire vulnerabilities. Andrew Orriss of the Structural Timber Association says that such concerns have been addressed by current building regulation and the STA's fire safety guide. He says that the off-site timber construction sector could help to deliver about a third of the government's target of 300,000 new homes per year - a level not achieved in England since the 1970s. Official government figures show that almost 200,000 new homes were built in England in 2023/24 and the Structural Timber Association said that approximately 40,500 of those were timber-frame homes. Builders including Vistry (VTYV.L), opens new tab and Taylor Wimpey (TW.L), opens new tab have opened or plan to open their own timber-frame manufacturing factory while Bellway (BWY.L), opens new tab plans to use timber in a third of its housing projects by 2030. Reduced environmental impact is another benefit touted by companies. Simon Park, head of sustainability at Bellway, said timber absorbs and stores more carbon than it emits and that Bellway's analysis shows breeze blocks - made from concrete and known as cinder blocks in the U.S. - are the biggest carbon emitters among common building materials. Countering that, however, is the origin of the raw materials. About 80% of timber used in the UK is imported, mainly from European countries, while roughly 20% of its brick supply is imported. Concerns also remain over mortgage availability for timber homes, which is likely to improve if the government signals a move towards timber construction, said Riz Malik, mortgage broker at independent financial adviser R3 Wealth. An ageing workforce, meanwhile, highlights the need for more robotics. About a fifth of construction workers in the UK are over 50, according to the Home Builders Federation, with 25% of those set to retire in the coming decade. The government pledged 40 million pounds ($54 million) in June for robotics adoption hubs across various sectors, but Maurice van Sante, senior economist for construction at bank ING, says Britain's construction industry is far behind other countries in robotics use. ING estimates that there were 1.5 robots for every 10,000 construction workers in Europe in 2023, against 0.6 in the U.S. and 0.5 in the UK. As well as filling labour shortages directly, robotics opens up other employment opportunities, says DTS manufacturing director Frank O'Reilly, adding that the company has attracted more interest from tech-savvy younger workers since the factory's introduction of automation and robotics. "It (the technology) encourages young people to consider this as a career," he said. ($1 = 0.7433 pounds)
The Herald Scotland
07-07-2025
- Health
- The Herald Scotland
Labour health minister attacks SNP over NHS Scotland app
Plans to create an NHS Scotland Digital Front Door have been under way since 2022, but the first iteration will not be rolled out until the end of this year, starting in Lanarkshire before a national rollout. READ MORE The app — which, according to Freedom of Information requests, the Scottish Government had spent £5.65 million on by March this year — is expected to include access to both health and social care data and services. Last week, Mr Streeting launched plans to give patients in England a 'doctor in your pocket' as he announced improvements to the country's NHS app, which already has 35 million users. John Swinney at the Royal Highland ShowThe app currently allows patients to book GP appointments, order prescriptions and manage hospital visits. Mr Streeting said the lack of a national app in Scotland showed why the country 'can't afford a third decade of the SNP'. He said: 'The UK Labour Government is embracing technology to deliver a better NHS for patients and their families, giving them more control and transparency over their treatment. 'In John Swinney, the SNP have an analogue politician in a digital age, and patients in Scotland are missing out. 'The SNP have record funding and complete control of the NHS in Scotland. There's no excuses for this, and it just shows why Scotland can't afford a third decade of the SNP and needs a new direction with Anas Sarwar as First Minister.' The Scottish Government has been approached for comment. Mr Swinney confirmed plans for the launch of the app in a speech on improving public services and NHS renewal at the National Robotarium in Edinburgh in January. He said: 'As a much-needed addition to improve patients' interaction with the NHS, there will be a Scottish health and social care app. 'This Digital Front Door will begin rollout from the end of this year, starting in Lanarkshire, and, over time, it will become an ever more central, ever more important access and management point for care in Scotland.' READ MORE Meanwhile, the UK Government has said £5.8 billion of the £9.1bn uplift to the Scottish budget over the next three years will come from increased health spending. A breakdown published on Monday shows the biggest share of new funding comes via the Barnett formula as a result of health investment in England. While the Scottish Government can allocate money as it sees fit, ministers have repeatedly said they will pass on health-related increases to NHS Scotland. Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said the settlement marked 'the largest real terms settlement for the Scottish Government since devolution'.
The Herald Scotland
19-06-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Scotland could be 'world leader': Heriot-Watt's National Robotarium
The 'Making Scotland a World Leader in Robotics' policy paper is being launched today by Stewart Miller, chief executive of the National Robotarium global research institute. Mr Miller warned that urgent action is needed to prevent Scotland from falling further behind international competitors, and outlined what he sees as 'a clear pathway to robotics leadership'. He said: 'We're at a critical juncture. Countries like China, America, and Singapore are racing ahead in robotics adoption and innovation, while the UK ranks just 24th globally for robots per manufacturing worker. But Scotland has exceptional foundations that, with the right approach, could make us a global robotics powerhouse.' Healthcare, offshore renewables and manufacturing are identified as 'three sectors where Scotland can establish clear competitive advantages'. The policy paper outlines a 'comprehensive vision for establishing Scotland as a global robotics powerhouse' through what are described as four strategic initiatives. It proposes the creation of 'Robotics Scotland' as a national coordinating body to accelerate collaboration between research, industry, and international partners. The second proposal is for the establishment of a national healthcare robotics initiative to 'position Scotland as the global leader in medical robotics innovation'. The paper also proposes the launch of a marine robotics innovation programme, 'leveraging Scotland's offshore expertise to dominate this emerging market'. And the fourth proposed strategic initiative is development of a national robotics skills strategy, 'ensuring Scotland has the talent to lead across all robotics applications'. Professor Gillian Murray, deputy principal of business and enterprise at Edinburgh's Heriot-Watt University, said: 'Heriot-Watt has a proud 200-year heritage of pioneering engineering and innovation that has shaped industries worldwide. The National Robotarium exemplifies our commitment to mobilising intellectual and capital assets for global impact. 'This policy paper demonstrates how Scotland can build on our university sector's world-class research capabilities to establish genuine leadership in the technologies that will define the future economy.' The National Robotarium declared that 'the sobering international picture reveals the scale of the challenge facing Scotland'. It said: 'Asia dominates with 72% of global robot installations, while Germany installs nearly eight times more robots than the entire UK. Denmark has become a robotics leader through strategic investment in collaborative robots and automation, creating a thriving ecosystem that attracts international companies and talent.' Mr Miller said: 'Other nations aren't waiting - they're building robotics capabilities that will define their economic futures. While we've been developing excellent innovations, our European neighbours and countries like Australia have been creating the systems and support that turn innovation into economic leadership. We risk becoming developers of technology for other countries to commercialise.' The policy paper highlights what is described by the National Robotarium as 'the stark reality of missed opportunities'. The National Robotarium highlighted the potential for Scotland to become a world leader in robotics amid a global revolution in this arena (Image: National Robotarium) Around 20,000 of 27,000 small and medium sized enterprises in the UK manufacturing sector currently operate without robots, 'representing a massive untapped opportunity for productivity improvement and economic growth', the paper states. It adds: 'If UK automation levels matched the world's most automated countries, productivity could increase by 22%. Over the next decade, robotics and automation technologies could contribute £184 billion to the UK economy, transforming our nation's manufacturing capabilities.' The National Robotarium declared 'the healthcare sector presents equally concerning gaps'. It added: 'While the global healthcare robotics market is projected to grow to £3.4 billion by 2028, Scotland struggles to translate its clinical expertise and innovation capability into systematic adoption, potentially missing out on £21.7 million in annual efficiency savings for NHS Scotland alone.' Read more Mr Miller said: 'We have companies like Edinburgh-based BioLiberty developing breakthrough stroke rehabilitation technology, but they're launching in North American markets because we haven't created the pathways for domestic success.' He added: 'We're funding innovations that primarily benefit other countries.' However, his analysis concludes Scotland is 'uniquely positioned to reverse this trend and establish genuine robotics leadership', the National Robotarium noted, adding: 'Unlike countries starting from scratch, Scotland possesses world-class research excellence, outstanding engineering heritage, and proven entrepreneurial spirit.' Stewart Miller, chief executive of Heriot-Watt University's National Robotarium (Image: Ben Glasgow/ National Robotarium) Mr Miller said: 'The difference between concern and optimism is action. Scotland has all the ingredients needed - we just need to combine them more effectively.' He declared the National Robotarium had 'demonstrated what's possible', supporting more than 100 jobs and nurturing 14 innovative companies in less than three years. Mr Miller added: 'This success can be replicated and scaled.' The National Robotarium said: 'The offshore renewables sector offers immediate opportunities, with robotics applications in wind farm operations alone representing a £341 million annual market by 2030. Scotland's global leadership in offshore energy provides a natural platform for marine robotics excellence. 'Healthcare presents extraordinary potential for Scottish innovation. With world-class clinical expertise and growing recognition among healthcare leaders of robotics possibilities, Scotland could become the global centre for healthcare robotics development.' The National Robotarium added: 'Manufacturing offers perhaps the broadest opportunity, with Scotland's expertise positioning it to capture significant market share as automation demand accelerates across thousands of ready-to-adopt businesses.' Mr Miller said: 'Every challenge becomes an opportunity when viewed through the robotics lens. NHS pressures could drive healthcare robotics innovation. Manufacturing skills shortages could accelerate automation adoption. Our offshore energy leadership could establish Scotland as the global centre for marine robotics.' The emergence of 'embodied' AI (artificial intelligence) has created 'unprecedented opportunities for countries that move decisively', the National Robotarium said. It added: 'With over a hundred companies worldwide receiving billions in investment to develop genuinely human-capable systems, Scotland's combination of AI expertise and robotics capability positions it perfectly for this next wave of innovation.' Mr Miller hammered home his view that Scotland's advantages extend beyond technology to include cultural and institutional strengths. He believes Scotland's collaborative approach between industry, academia, and government - 'exemplified by the National Robotarium's 'triple helix' model' - creates 'ideal conditions for rapid ecosystem development'. The National Robotarium declared its track record 'provides compelling evidence of Scotland's potential'. It added: 'Since launching in September 2022, the facility has become internationally recognised, with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change citing its model in their landmark October 2024 report on robotics leadership. The recent expansion to Orkney through the International Blue Economy Robotarium demonstrates how targeted sector focus can accelerate market leadership.'
