Global Underwater Hub releases UK robotics roadmap

The Global Underwater Hub (GUH) has released a white paper titled ‘Maintaining the UK's Leading Position in Underwater Robotics and Autonomy’. The document outlines strategic priorities to bolster the United Kingdom’s established expertise in the sector, which is part of a £9.4 billion underwater industry.

Increasing demand for autonomous technologies is being driven by the oil and gas, defense, and offshore wind sectors. The roadmap emphasizes the need for a shared industry vision to ensure robotics can be developed, manufactured, and tested within the UK before international deployment.

Key challenges identified include the need for better collaboration between developers and operators, navigating the regulatory environment for unmanned vehicles, and advancing autonomy from simple inspection tasks toward active intervention on underwater assets.