Robotics companies
Robotics companies in the UK: how to choose a robotics partner
Robotics companies in the UK range from manufacturers and distributors to system integrators, robotics-as-a-service providers, independent advisers and research centres. Each does a different job. This guide explains who does what, how to choose a robotics partner for your site, and what to ask before a demonstration or pilot.
Forge Anvil is being developed to connect robots to a site’s own systems; connections are scoped site by site. How our integration software is designed to work
By Forge Robotics · Last updated:
The landscape
What types of robotics companies are there in the UK?
There are six main types of robotics companies in the UK: manufacturers, distributors and resellers, system integrators, robotics-as-a-service providers, specialist advisers and independent integrators, and research and technology centres. They do different jobs, and most robot projects involve more than one of them, so it helps to know who does what before you start.
An OEM (original equipment manufacturer) designs and builds the robot. A system integrator engineers the working system around it. RaaS (robotics as a service) means paying for a robot by subscription rather than buying it.
| Type | What they do | When to use them |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturers (OEMs) | Design and build robots and their software; sell directly or through partners | You already know the platform and need it at volume or with factory support |
| UK distributors and resellers | Import, stock and sell one or more brands, often with training and spares | You have chosen a brand and want local supply and support |
| System integrators | Design and build the working cell or system around the robot, then commission it | The task is defined and needs engineering, guarding, controls and site work |
| Robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) providers | Supply the robot as a subscription, often with monitoring and support | You want to avoid buying hardware or to scale up gradually |
| Specialist advisers and independent integrators | Match the task to platforms across manufacturers, plan pilots and connect robots to site systems | You are not yet sure which robot, which supplier or how it fits your systems |
| Research and technology centres | Test, develop and de-risk new applications with industry | The application is new, or you need independent testing before you commit |
Many companies combine roles: a distributor may also integrate, and some manufacturers run their own integration teams.
Research and technology centres include the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) in Coventry, which lists automation and robotics among its capabilities; the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult; and the National Robotarium at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, which supports businesses adopting robotics. The government’s Robotics Adoption Hubs, announced on 9 October 2026, offer impartial advice in their regions. Manufacturers looking for a UK route to market can read how we work with manufacturers.
Integrators
What does a robotics integrator actually do?
A robotics integrator turns a robot into a working solution on a particular site. It defines the task, chooses the robot and tooling, plans the layout and safety measures, programs and commissions the system, trains the people who run it, and connects it to the systems the site already uses, such as warehouse or production software.
A robotics integrator in the UK might work on fixed arms in a factory, mobile robots in a warehouse or inspection robots on an estate. The robot is often the smaller part of the job: most of the effort goes into the site, the safety case and the software around it. Software such as ROS 2 (Robot Operating System 2, an open-source framework many robots use) is one layer an integrator works with.
Choosing
How do you choose a robotics company in the UK?
Choose a robotics company in the UK by starting with your task and site, then checking seven things: independence across manufacturers, relevant experience, the approach to safety and compliance, willingness to run a demo or pilot, integration capability, who owns after-sales support, and how data and cyber security are handled.
- Independence: do they work across manufacturers, or represent one brand?
- Relevant experience: have they worked on sites and tasks like yours?
- Safety and compliance: how do they approach the risk assessment and the standards that apply?
- Demo or pilot: will they test the robot on your task before you commit?
- Integration: can they connect the robot to the systems you already run?
- After-sales support: who maintains the robot and the integration, and who owns each part?
- Data and cyber security: where does the data go, and who can reach the robot remotely?
Ask the same questions of every company you speak to, so the answers can be compared. Sector detail sits on our manufacturing and industrial page, and platform guides cover humanoid robots and quadruped robots.
Before a pilot
What should you ask a robotics partner before a demo or pilot?
Before a demo or pilot, ask a robotics partner what the trial will prove, who does what on site, what the robot needs from the site, how it will connect to your systems, what support follows, and who owns the data. Clear answers up front stop a pilot drifting into an open-ended experiment.
A demonstration shows what a robot can do; a pilot tests whether it does your task, on your site, with your people. If seeing a robot on a real task would help, read how demonstrations are arranged.
What will the pilot prove?
The task, the measure of success and the point at which you would stop.
Who does what on site?
Who installs, who supervises, who responds to a fault and who signs off safety.
What does the robot need?
Floors, Wi-Fi, power, space and access, and anything that must change first.
How does it connect?
Which systems it must talk to, and how that is tested in the pilot.
What happens after?
Support, spares, software updates and what a wider rollout would involve.
Who owns the data?
Where images, maps and logs are stored, and who can access them.
Integration
Why does integration matter more than the robot?
Integration matters more than the robot because a robot only pays back when it fits the way a site already works. If it cannot take tasks from the systems that plan the work, or report what it did and what it found, people end up re-keying data and the robot becomes an island.
Forge Anvil is being developed to bridge robot software such as ROS 2 and a site’s own systems (for example WMS, MES, BMS, VMS or alarm platforms) through APIs where possible. It is designed to keep robots part of the operation rather than separate tools. Connections are scoped site by site in the integration review. Read how Forge Anvil is designed to work.
Forge Robotics
How does Forge Robotics work as a UK robotics company?
Forge Robotics is a UK robotics company working as an independent, advisory robotics integrator. We start with the task and the site, match a platform across manufacturers, arrange a demonstration or pilot where it helps, can supply the robot where that fits, and plan how it connects to your systems through Forge Anvil, which is being developed.
Our team is based in Birmingham and works remotely across the UK. We do not build robots; we choose them for the task, and our delivery partners bring sector engineering where a project needs it. Forge Robotics is a trading name of Raplin Ventures Ltd, registered in England and Wales with company number 17276917.
Tell us the task and the site, and we will help you work out which kind of robotics company you need.
Request an integration reviewRobotics companies UK: frequently asked questions
What do UK robotics companies do?
UK robotics companies cover several roles. Manufacturers build robots, distributors sell and support particular brands, system integrators engineer the working cell or system, robotics-as-a-service providers rent robots by subscription, and advisers and independent integrators match robots to tasks and connect them to site systems. Research centres help test and develop new applications with industry.
What is the difference between a robot manufacturer and a robotics integrator?
A robot manufacturer designs and builds the robot and its software. A robotics integrator turns that robot into a working solution on a particular site: choosing tooling, planning the layout and safety measures, programming the task, commissioning it and connecting it to the systems the site already uses. Many projects need both, and some companies do the two.
How do I choose a robotics company in the UK?
Start with the task and the site, then look for a company that works across manufacturers, has relevant experience, has a clear safety and compliance approach, will run a demonstration or pilot on your task, can connect the robot to your systems, and is clear about after-sales support, data and cyber security. Ask who owns each part of the work.
Does Forge Robotics manufacture robots?
No. Forge Robotics does not build robots. It is an independent, advisory robotics integrator: it starts from the task and the site, matches platforms across manufacturers, arranges a demonstration or pilot where that helps, can supply the robot where that fits, and plans how it connects to your systems through Forge Anvil, which is being developed.
Where is Forge Robotics based?
Forge Robotics has a Birmingham-based team and works remotely across the UK, travelling to sites for assessments, pilots and integration work. Forge Robotics is a trading name of Raplin Ventures Ltd, registered in England and Wales with company number 17276917. Sites anywhere in the UK can start with an integration review.
Can a robotics company connect robots to our existing systems?
Often, yes, but it depends on the robot’s software and the systems and versions your site runs, such as a WMS, MES, BMS or video management system. Forge Anvil is being developed to bridge robot software and those systems through APIs where possible. Which connections are possible is scoped site by site in an integration review.
Next step
Looking for a robotics partner?
Start with an integration review. We look at the task, the site and the systems you already run, then set out which kind of robotics company and platform fits, and how the robot would connect to the way your site already works.