The UK produces world-class technology and is home to exceptional tech entrepreneurs. All too often it watches them scale in America.

Rory Daniels, Head of Emerging Technology and Innovation at techUK, joins Thinking on Paper to discuss whether the United Kingdom can remain competitive as quantum computing, robotics, photonics, AI and advanced computing begin to converge.

The UK has strong research institutions, deep technical talent and globally significant companies. Its recurring problem is scale. Promising technologies are often developed in British universities and laboratories, then commercialised or funded elsewhere.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What makes the UK robotics industry different from the US and China

• Why British companies often focus on specialised robots for nuclear sites, wind turbines and industrial environments

• How autonomous driving companies such as Wayve combine AI, sensors and connectivity

• Whether robotaxis can coexist with London’s black-cab industry

• Why UK technology companies struggle to scale after the startup stage

• How access to long-term capital affects quantum, robotics and semiconductor companies

• The role of universities, technology-transfer offices and regional innovation clusters

• What is happening in Coventry, Edinburgh, Milton Keynes, Barnsley and other UK technology centres

• How digital twins and simulation are used to train robots and autonomous vehicles

• Why photonics matters for quantum computing

• How quantum, photonic, neuromorphic and biological computing could converge

• Whether AI can develop the judgement and wisdom required to solve complex technical problems

• How techUK connects companies, researchers and policymakers

• Why public trust and adoption matter as much as technical performance

Rory argues that the UK’s advantage may not lie in dominating a single technology. It may come from combining existing strengths in AI, chip design, robotics, quantum computing, photonics and connectivity.

The conversation examines what government, industry, universities and investors must do if the UK is to convert strong research into companies that can scale globally without leaving the country.

Please enjoy the show.

Thinking on Paper is a technology podcast about AI, Space, quantum computing, science, and the systems shaping the future.

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Chapters

(00:00) The UK Technology Landscape

(03:14) Robotics: A UK Perspective

(05:54) Autonomous Vehicles in the UK

(08:39) The UK's Innovation Ecosystem

(11:05) Challenges and Opportunities for UK Tech Entrepreneurs

(13:27) Regional Innovation and Government Initiatives

(16:33) The Role of Universities in Tech Development

(19:15) Barnsley: A Blueprint for Tech Towns

(21:53) Government Initiatives in Robotics

(24:20) Digital Twins and the Future of Robotics

(27:12) Quantum Computing and Photonics in the UK

(29:24) The Role of Education in Emerging Technologies

(30:55) AI and Human Wisdom: A Complex Relationship

(38:02) Neuromorphic Computing: The Future of AI

(38:23) Convergence of Technologies: Opportunities for the UK

(42:42) The Human Element in Technology Adoption