With entries for the Robotics & Automation Awards 2025 now open, Robotics & Automation Magazine has launched an exclusive series of Q&A interviews with the expert panel of judges responsible for evaluating this year’s submissions.
Over the coming weeks and months, the magazine will spotlight each judge – a dynamic mix of thought leaders, technical specialists, and business strategists drawn from across the robotics, automation, AI and smart manufacturing sectors – to explore their backgrounds, industry outlooks and what they’ll be looking for in an award-winning entry.
From end users and integrators to researchers and investors, this year’s panel represents a diverse blend of practical and academic expertise – all of which will help identify the most transformative, scalable, and commercially viable innovations driving the next era of automation and intelligent systems.
Our next judge is Rosa Wells, the executive dean of the school of engineering, digital and sustainable construction, University College Birmingham.Wells is a highly experienced engineer who has dedicated her career to education and training. She is passionate about providing students with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in STEM sectors.
In her previous role, Wells was leading the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Institute of Technology, working closely with engineering employers and education partners to establish a state-of-the-art learning factory in the city centre accessible to all engineering learners across the region.
Name: Rosa Wells
Job title: Executive Dean of the School of Engineering, Digital and Sustainable Construction
Organisation: University College Birmingham
As FE Principal & Dean for STEM at University College Birmingham, with a background in engineering education and applied innovation, my work has consistently focused on equipping learners and industry partners with the tools to embrace and drive technological change. I’ve championed the adoption of automation and intelligent systems to address productivity challenges and to create safer, higher-quality jobs. Recognising excellence in this space is essential if we’re to inspire wider uptake across sectors and ensure the UK remains competitive and forward-looking.
I’m particularly excited by the integration of AI into robotics, enabling more adaptive and intelligent automation systems. Trends such as cobots and automation in non-traditional sectors like food production or healthcare are opening up new opportunities. What excites me most is seeing automation used not just to reduce cost, but to raise productivity, improve quality, and create more fulfilling roles for people—something I expect to see strongly reflected in this year’s entries.
A standout submission will demonstrate not just technological sophistication, but measurable impact—particularly where automation has tangibly improved productivity, safety, or the quality of work. I’ll be looking for innovations that are scalable, inclusive, and grounded in real-world application. Submissions that show how automation is enabling the introduction better work for people, not just fewer tasks, will particularly stand out.
Awards such as these are crucial for accelerating the pace of innovation and encouraging businesses to invest in automation. By showcasing success stories, they help demystify what’s possible and highlight the value automation brings—not just in efficiency, but in transforming how work is done. This kind of visibility supports adoption, attracts investment, and sparks the cross-sector collaboration needed to scale new technologies.
Be clear about your innovation’s impact—particularly how it has improved productivity and enhanced the quality or nature of work. Focus on the value created for people, businesses, and the wider sector. Evidence of scalability, collaboration, and lessons learned is also important. And above all, show how your solution moves us forward—not just technologically, but socially and economically too.
Achievements and innovations in retail and e-commerce, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, automotive, transport & logistics, and more will be celebrated at the Robotics & Automation Awards on 29 October 2025 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Visit www.roboticsandautomationawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s robotics and automation sectors!
