Can UK Tech Compete Globally in Quantum, Robotics and AI? | Rory Daniels, techUK

About this episode

Rory Daniels discusses the competitiveness of the UK in emerging technologies like quantum computing, robotics, and AI.

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…

People in this episode

Hosts: Mark Fielding, Jeremy Gilbertson

Guest: Rory Daniels

Topics covered

• UK technology
• quantum computing
• robotics
• AI
• scaling startups
• innovation clusters

Keywords

• UK tech
• robotics industry
• autonomous driving
• long-term capital
• digital twins
• photonics
• semiconductors

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: techUK

Products: robotaxis, Wayve

Places: UK, America, Coventry, Edinburgh, Milton Keynes, Barnsley

More episodes of Thinking On Paper

• What Is GEO? How Brands Get Recommended by ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini - Awad Sayeed · June 12, 2026 · 45 min
• What Is an Autonomous Machine Learning Engineer? How Neo Automates AI Development · June 11, 2026 · 35 min
• How Would NASA Build a Permanent Moon Base? Power, Habitats, Robots and Lunar Infrastructure · June 2, 2026 · 34 min
• How Space-Based Solar Power Works: TerraSpark on Wireless Energy Beaming from Orbit · May 27, 2026 · 52 min
• What Is the Environmental Impact of Lithium and Copper Mining? Jennifer Dunn on Critical Minerals and the Energy Transition · May 23, 2026 · 52 min
• Could AGI Run the Global Economy Better Than Humans? Anders Sandberg on AI, Markets and Control · May 18, 2026 · 7 min