Date/Time
Date(s) - 09/03/2026
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Categories
Joint Hazards Forum / Parliamentary and Scientific Committee Webinar
9 March 2026, 1700
Overview
Event topic: Robotics and autonomous systems (RAS)
Advancements in the area of RAS have changed the technological landscape. The UK faces a pivotal opportunity to lead in the responsible development and deployment of RAS. This has been recognised in the UK government Smart Machines Strategy 2035 and the recent announcement of funding for Robotics Adoption Hubs and curbing of red tape to robotics deployment. The Smart Machines Strategy builds on the UK’s strengths in research, innovation, and entrepreneurship, laying out strategic goals and actionable steps to unlock the full potential of smart machines over the next decade.
The Hazards Forum’s mission is to unlock the power of interdisciplinary conversations to keep society safe. We believe in bringing together the right people – regulators, academics, government and industry leaders – to build effective partnerships, which enable those vital conversations to drive real world change.
- The current state of RAS research in the UK and key areas of global competitiveness
- Pathways for turning academic excellence into scalable, real-world impact
- The importance of public trust, governance, and inclusive design in fostering adoption
- Strategies for ensuring that deployment aligns with environmental and social sustainability goals
- The importance of effective cross-sector collaboration, cross-acceptance as well as common ontologies and approaches.
Speakers
Rav Chunilal
Head of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence (RAI), Sellafield Ltd.
This talk will consider:
- Opportunities for robotics and autonomous systems in the major hazard industries: a case study in nuclear decommissioning
- Development and deployment of robotics and autonomous systems in nuclear environments
Bio: Rav Chunilal is the Head of Robotics & Artificial Intelligence at Sellafield Ltd, the UK’s largest nuclear site. He is responsible for developing and deploying Robotics and AI technologies to decommission the site safely, efficiently, and cost-effectively.
His appointment in 2001 was as part of a move by Sellafield Ltd and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) to focus on investing in robotics, autonomous systems and artificial intelligence as a key part of accelerating the safe delivery of the nuclear decommissioning mission.
Rav has united different teams to work together across Sellafield and other nuclear sites around the UK. The collaborations have also extended to other government organisations and academia to share knowledge more effectively. Sellafield and the NDA have expanded their mission to share knowledge in the form of quarterly forums bringing together operators from across the industry and supply chain. The advancements made by Sellafield and NDA’s robotics capability include research and deployment of robotics to clearing nuclear waste, inspecting buildings and equipment, and sorting and segregating wastes. These efforts have made Sellafield a leader in the nuclear industry for applying robotics and AI technologies.
Professor Samia Nefti-Meziani, OBE
Birmingham University’s Chair in Robotics and AI
This talk will consider:
- Cross-sector perspective and barriers to adoption of RAS
- Robotics and AI in circular manufacturing
Bio: Professor Samia Nefti-Meziani is director of the Birmingham Robotics Institute and Director of the newly £34.6M EPSRC National Hub for a robotics-enabled sustainable future for manufacturing. She is an internationally leading expert with 25 years of experience and a well-established track record in Robotics, intelligent automation and AI.
Samia recently received an Order of the British Empire for services to robotics which was awarded in the Queen’s Jubilee Birthday Honours list. She also featured as the 2020’s top 30 world’s women in robotics you need to know about by Silicon Valley Robohub.
She has developed practical cross-sectorial robotics technologies through numerous commercial and research projects, funded by the EU, EPSRC, RE and Innovate UK and has pioneered the use of robotics and autonomous systems in many sectors including food, nuclear, transport, aerospace and healthcare. Professor Nefti-Meziani is a co-founder of the National Robotics Network, which includes industry end-users and academic members, she is serving as a government advisory board member for the Robotics Growth Partnership. She is currently the Academic lead of the UK Cross-Sector Robotics and Autonomous Systems Development Task Force chaired by DSIT, and the National Committee in Cross-Sector RAS Legislations, Standards and Ethics.
Vaibhav Puri OBE
Co-Chair of National Committee on Robotics Regulation and Standards (NCRRS) and Director of Sector Strategy, NCRRS and Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB)
This talk will consider:
- RAS and the importance of effective compliance pathways, cross-sector collaboration and acceptance.
- Work of National Committee on RAS Regulation, Standards and Ethics
Bio: Vaibhav Puri OBE is the Director of Sector Strategy at Rail Safety and Standards Board and is the Co-Chair of the National Committee on Robotics Regulation and Standards. In 2025, Vaibhav received the honour of Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his outstanding contribution to railway safety and standards. An international expert in regulation and standards who influences domestic and international law, Vaibhav leads initiatives on enabling technological innovation, including AI, quantum technologies, and autonomous systems. Vaibhav is also a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Standards Committee and for the UK, chairs the COTIF Committee of Technical Experts which sets international law for rail transport focussed on connecting Europe, Africa and Asia. With experience of shaping UK, EU, and global standards, Vaibhav leads RSSB’s Futures Lab and is committed to showing leadership for a better society enabled by an ethical, safe, and effective use of technology.
Please note: We will share your name and email address with the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee to allow them to send you the link for joining the webinar.
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