Robotics and AI increasingly go together — and the UK has put money behind helping businesses adopt them. Here’s what the Robotics Adoption Hubs are in 2026, and how AI fits, cited to gov.uk. (dgm implements osFoundry as an independent partner.)

What they are

Under the AI Opportunities Action Plan, the government committed £40m for a network of Robotics Adoption Hubs to help UK businesses adopt robotics and automation. The aim is to accelerate practical adoption — getting proven robotics and automation into more businesses, particularly in physical-operations sectors.

Who they’re for

Primarily businesses with physical operations — manufacturers, warehousing and logistics, and similar — where robotics and automation can lift productivity. If your operation is purely digital/office-based, robotics hubs are less relevant; AI software adoption is your route.

AI and robotics go together

A key point often missed: robotics rarely works alone. Around the hardware sits an AI/software layer:

  • perception — computer vision for guidance, inspection, sorting;
  • scheduling and optimisation — deciding what runs when;
  • quality inspection — catching defects;
  • decision-making and exception handling.

So adopting robotics well usually means adopting the AI software layer too — which is where a platform and integration approach matters.

It’s support, not a “buy a robot” grant

The hubs provide adoption support and access to expertise, not a simple cash grant to purchase hardware. For funding, pair them with Made Smarter (for SME manufacturers, up to £20,000 at 50%) and R&D tax relief for genuine development.

Where osFoundry and dgm fit

dgm scopes and implements the AI/software layer around robotics on osFoundry — perception, scheduling, quality and decision-making — with bring-your-own-key models and self-hosting or local inference for on-site, data-sensitive operations (osFoundry publishes US/EU/JP regions, not a UK one). The robotics hardware and physical integration is a separate specialist domain, which we’d work alongside.

dgm is an independent integration partner with zero integrations so far. Robotics Adoption Hub support comes from the government programme. To scope the AI layer around an automation project, book a consultation with dgm. General information; confirm hub details against gov.uk.