The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and the Fukushima Institute for Research, Education and Innovation (F-REI) have signed a memorandum of cooperation (MOC) on joint research in robotics and autonomous systems.
The agreement supports UK-Japan collaboration between the government-funded organisations, enhancing joint research opportunities and advancing science and innovation in key technical areas, such as:
- Robotics and autonomous systems: supporting nuclear decommissioning, operations in challenging environments and advanced manufacturing;
- Facility management and collaboration: sharing best practices in research facilities, harnessing a culture of innovation and commercialisation;
- Talent and skills: initiatives to drive partnerships and support talent and skills development.
“UKAEA has established robust partnerships with leading Japanese organisations, and this collaboration marks an exciting opportunity to expand those connections, said UKAEA’s Executive Director, Professor Rob Buckingham. “By leveraging our shared experience and expertise, I am confident we can further strengthen UK-Japan engagement across government, industry, and academia, driving cutting-edge advancements with real-world impact.”
F-REI’s President, Dr Koetsu Yamazaki said F-REI and UKAEA share complementary objectives in research, innovation, education, and commercialisation. “The UKAEA’s extensive experience in developing productive research programmes, educational initiatives, innovation and commercialisation pipelines, and collaborative research facilities offers valuable lessons that can significantly benefit F-REI’s startup goals,” he noted. “We are also excited to enhance Japan’s scientific and technological capabilities and industrial competitiveness through this international collaboration.”
UKAEA’s robotics centre, RACE (Remote Applications in Challenging Environments), established in 2014, has been at the forefront of research and development in the deployment of robotics within extreme industrial environments where human intervention is challenging. Among RACE’s recent achievements is the successful development of next-generation robotics technologies for decommissioning through the LongOps project, funded by the UK’s Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Japan’s Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO).
UKAEA is a member of the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration (RAICo) alongside the NDA, Sellafield Ltd and the University of Manchester. The collaboration accelerates deployment of robotics and AI to solve shared nuclear decommissioning and fusion engineering challenges.
F-REI, established by the Government of Japan in April 2023 under the Act on Special Measures for the Reconstruction and Revitalisation of Fukushima, aims to become a world-class core centre for creative reconstruction. F-REI embodies the dreams and aspirations of Fukushima and other parts of the Tohoku region, aiming to drive Japan’s scientific and technological capabilities and industrial competitiveness. The institute conducts research and development in five key areas: robotics; agriculture, forestry, and fisheries; energy; radiation science, medicine, drug development, and industrial applications for radiation; and the collection and dissemination of data and knowledge on nuclear disasters.
