More than 1,000 students from across the UK will gather in London later today for the national final of the More Than Robots UK Championship, marking the culmination of a six-month engineering programme designed to build the country’s future robotics talent pipeline.
Organised by FIRST UK, the competition has seen teams design, build and test robots over two school terms, supported by more than 200 industry mentors from companies including Arm and Bloomberg.
Classroom engineering meets real-world challenge
Held at the Copper Box Arena in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the championship brings together top-performing teams from regional heats, where students have worked through practical engineering challenges and refined their designs with professional guidance.
Unlike one-off STEM initiatives, the programme has immersed participants in sustained, hands-on learning. Over six months, teams have iterated on robot designs while developing technical, problem-solving and collaboration skills aligned with real-world engineering practice.
Tackling the UK’s robotics skills gap
The event comes amid growing concern over the UK’s ability to adopt robotics at scale. While the country ranks among global leaders in robotics research and early-stage investment, it lags behind in industrial deployment, with just 111 robots per 10,000 manufacturing workers—below the global average.
Economists warn that failure to accelerate adoption could cost the UK economy up to £144bn in lost growth, with skills shortages cited as a major barrier by the majority of manufacturers.
FIRST UK positions the More Than Robots programme as part of the solution, aiming to build skills earlier through direct engagement between students and industry.
Driving diversity and access in engineering
The initiative also seeks to address longstanding diversity challenges within engineering. Nearly half (44%) of participants in this year’s competition are girls, while 37% come from ethnically diverse backgrounds—figures that significantly exceed current industry representation.
To improve accessibility, each team has received reusable robotics kits, educator training and up to £5,000 in funded STEM enrichment, including travel and equipment bursaries, ensuring cost is not a barrier to participation.
Industry and policy alignment
The championship is backed by a coalition of industry partners, including Qualcomm, alongside philanthropic organisations such as the Gene Haas Foundation and the Garfield Weston Foundation.
Their involvement has extended beyond sponsorship, with engineers providing hands-on mentorship throughout the programme.
The event also coincides with renewed government focus on school enrichment and industry partnerships, following the publication of the Schools White Paper earlier this year. The policy outlines plans to expand access to enrichment programmes, particularly in disadvantaged schools, though coverage is expected to remain limited.
Amelia Gould, Chair of Trustees at FIRST UK, said the UK is at a “critical junction” in robotics, warning that skills shortages risk undermining the country’s global competitiveness.
Meanwhile, Jemma Read of Bloomberg highlighted the importance of access to mentorship and technology, while Arm’s Charlotte Eaton stressed the need to build the talent pipeline earlier rather than relying solely on graduate recruitment.
Building the next generation
With participation spanning all four nations of the UK, the More Than Robots UK Championship underscores the growing role of industry-led STEM programmes in preparing young people for careers in engineering and technology.
As policymakers and industry leaders look to close the robotics skills gap, initiatives like this are increasingly seen as critical to ensuring the UK can translate its research strengths into industrial and economic growth.
For more articles like this, visit our People & Skills channel
