How do we bridge the skills gap in UK manufacturing while pushing the boundaries of automation technology? In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I sit down with Mark Gray, UK and Ireland Country Manager at Universal Robots, to explore how collaborative robots, or cobots, are rewriting the rules for companies big and small. Universal Robots, founded by three university professors in Denmark about twenty years ago, brought the world its first cobot and recently celebrated a landmark achievement with the sale of its 100,000th unit worldwide.

Mark unpacks how this milestone reflects a shift in how industries from aerospace to pharmaceuticals now approach automation. He shares how the company’s easy-to-deploy cobots help tackle the tasks that many workers prefer to avoid, focusing on the dirty, dangerous, and repetitive jobs, freeing human talent for higher-value work. But this conversation goes deeper than robot arms on production lines. Mark’s passion lies in addressing the UK’s well-documented skills shortage, a topic that resonates with manufacturers across the country.

He explains why Universal Robots is investing in free technical training courses for apprentices, aiming to equip young people with practical robotics skills and inspire fresh interest in engineering and manufacturing careers. Based in Sheffield, Mark also reveals how the city’s industrial heritage and its connections with institutions like the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre help nurture a vibrant robotics ecosystem, attracting startups and fostering local innovation.

We discuss the growing adoption of cobots by small and medium-sized enterprises, the impact of labour shortages on automation strategies, and how businesses can begin their journey without overhauling entire production lines at once. From practical roadshows to free line-walk audits, Mark outlines the resources available for any company curious about automation.

Whether you’re a manufacturing leader looking for ways to future-proof operations or a young listener intrigued by robotics as a career, this episode shows how thoughtful investment in skills and technology can shape a more productive and resilient future for the UK and beyond.

Could cobots be the missing link between today’s workforce challenges and tomorrow’s manufacturing success? Let’s find out.

Here’s the link to the Kraftwerk video