The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Greg Clark MP, has toured Bristol Robotics Laboratory (BRL) at UWE Bristol’s Frenchay campus, meeting senior leaders during the visit. He viewed BRL’s Assisted Living Laboratory, Nuclear Decommissioning Suite, Driverless Car Workshop, Robotics Innovation Facility and Hardware Incubator, learning more about how the facility is addressing technological challenges, and supporting businesses in new and emerging sectors.
The visit followed a major stakeholder event at We The Curious science centre, where the industrial strategy’s achievements were celebrated and future priorities discussed. Among the speakers at the event was Praminda Caleb-Solly, Professor of Assistive Robotics and Intelligent Health Technologies at BRL.
BRL enables dynamic start-ups within a culture of innovation, where academic excellence, cutting-edge research and enterprise converge. Professor Chris Melhuish, BRL Director
At BRL, Greg Clark learned how academics are providing technology to investigate issues surrounding the introduction of connected autonomous vehicles, and creating technology for the safe dismantling of nuclear assets scheduled for decommissioning in the UK. He was briefed about the enterprise ecosystem supported by the BRL, where research, teaching and enterprise are brought together to create new possibilities, businesses and supply chains.
Professor Chris Melhuish, BRL Director, said: “It was a great pleasure to host the Secretary of State at the laboratory and highlight our work. BRL enables dynamic start-ups within a culture of innovation, where academic excellence, cutting-edge research and enterprise converge, in this new and emerging field of robotics and autonomous systems.”