Robots to become a permanent fixture in Milton Keynes!
For immediate release: 28 October 2025
Smart City Consultancy, working with Milton Keynes City Council and the National Committee on Robotics Regulations and Standards have been awarded funding by the UK Government to ensure robots become a permanent fixture in Milton Keynes and in other places across the UK.
The trailblazing RoboPASS project will create a brand-new licensing system designed to safely integrate multi-purpose robots into everyday public life. As part of the work, trials with robots operating in and around Milton Keynes will be undertaken, paving the way for widespread rollout in the future.
Milton Keynes is no stranger to robotics. The recent Smart City Robotics Competition, organised by Smart City Consultancy as part of MK Tech Week saw teams from universities and colleges compete in a range of different robotics challenges, attracting thousands of visitors and widespread media interest.
The new project follows hot on the heels of the latest robotics competition, and will enable citizens, business, Local Authorities and service users to benefit from the automation of everyday tasks, in areas such as Highways repair and in Health and Social Care settings. The license will also enable innovators in the robotics sector to deploy their tech in real-world settings, solving real-world problems.
The exciting 12-month project, funded by the Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) is part of the fourth round of the Regulators’ Pioneer Fund. This fund is designed to enable regulators, including Local Authorities, to trial new and innovative regulatory approaches that allow businesses to bring innovative products to market more quickly. RoboPASS builds on the success of a previous Regulators’ Pioneer Fund project – DronePort:MK which saw drones used to undertake medical deliveries and infrastructure surveys in the city.
Smart City Consultancy will provide the robotics solutions that are deployed onto the streets of Milton Keynes, and provide the centralised Control Centre that oversee the robotics deployments and assure their safety. The different robotics solutions will also be accessible to the public in the award-winning Smart City Experience Centre, part of centre:mk, a top UK retail destination. Milton Keynes City Council will lead, sponsor and promote the project at a city-wide, regional, national and international level, drive the development of the reusable Licensing Framework, work to develop the related use cases and support the robotics trials within the city.
The project builds on the work of The National Committee on Robotics Regulations and Standards, and RoboPASS will utilise expert Committee insight throughout to inform, develop and promote the Framework to address stakeholder needs, drawing on real-world deployments to elevate and overcome barriers, and develop approaches replicable across sectors.
Science and Technology Secretary, Liz Kendall said:
“Every day across the country new products are being invented that have the potential to transform lives and revolutionise public services. But all too often, we are held back from taking advantage of them by red tape that simply hasn’t kept pace with the scientific and technological advances. That’s why we’re backing our regulators to work together with industry, to make the rules fit for purpose, and unlock breakthroughs that will deliver national renewal by driving our economy forwards faster, easier, and safely.”
Director at Smart City Consultancy, Ian Pulford said:
“Having contributed to a changing regulatory environment with our DronePort:MK project which saw drones being used across the city for medical deliveries and asset surveys, it is great to be able to drive forward the deployment of robotics solutions through RoboPASS. We can see so many opportunities in Milton Keynes and beyond, and, along with the new Licensing Framework, our Control Centre and our technical know-how, we will make robots a permanent fixture on our streets….”
Deputy Leader of Milton Keynes City Council, Cllr Lauren Townsend, said:
“We’re proud to be leading the way in smart city innovation and this project is a vital step in making robotics a safe and practical part of everyday life. By creating a clear Framework, we’re unlocking new opportunities to support public services, improve infrastructure and reduce costs. At the same time, we’re attracting investment, creating jobs and driving economic growth.”
Director of the Birmingham Robotics Institute and Academic Chair of The National Committee on Robotics Regulations and Standards, Prof. Samia Nefti-Meziani OBE, said:
“The Committee was established to realise the outcomes we collectively envisage for RoboPASS. The project builds on our prior work and brings together a consortium that have the right mix of domain experience, deployment experience, technical and operational experience, and the determination to succeed. The work will benefit citizens, drive the industry forward, and enable other Local Authorities to deploy robotics solutions. We will work to ensure others can benefit for the work, accelerating robotics deployment, and driving productivity and growth across the UK and beyond”
Director of Sector Strategy at Rail Safety and Standards Board and Co-chair of The National Committee on Robotics Regulations and Standards, Vaibhav Puri OBE, said:
“The National Committee on Robotics Regulations and Standards is extremely excited to be supporting this groundbreaking RoboPASS initiative which should pave the way in developing a pro-innovation regulatory approach to RAS deployment in public spaces which is repeatable and scalable.The Committee's network of regulators, infrastructure managers, academia and developers will enrich the project as it inputs to and gains valuable knowledge to enable more cross-sector deployment of RAS in line with government’s industrial strategy.”
ENDS
Deputy Leader of Milton Keynes City Council, Cllr Lauren Townsend (IMAGE: MKCC)
Notes to editors
The UK Government’s Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) funds regulators and local authorities to trial new and innovative regulatory approaches enabling businesses to bring innovative products to the market quicker. In October 2025, through the Fourth Round of the Regulators’ Pioneer Fund, the RIO has awarded Milton Keynes City Council a grant of £775,000 via the Regulators’ Pioneer Fund (RPF) to deliver the RoboPASS project.
You can find out more here: DSIT announcement
About the consortium
Milton Keynes City Council: at the forefront of leading Smart City innovation, the Council have successfully delivered a number of projects, in areas that include 5G communications, self-driving vehicles, robotics and drones, establishing Milton Keynes as an ‘urban laboratory’ that deploys new technology for the benefit of our citizens and the place where ‘ideas become reality’.
Smart City Consultancy: from our Milton Keynes base, we bring over a decade of experience in successful delivery of Smart City projects, working with a range of public- and private-sector organisations; uniquely, we have access to world-leading Smart City testbeds, a Smart City Experience Centre, Smart City Control Centre and a Smart City Data Exchange. Collectively, we offer a full ‘Autonomy-as-a-Service’ solution, enabling safe, secure deployment and oversight of autonomous vehicles, drones and robotics solutions.
The National Committee on Robotics Regulations and Standards: comprising 15 regulatory and standards bodies and national public infrastructure organisations, The Committee is dedicated to advancing a regulatory landscape for the United Kingdom that can optimise value to be developed by responsible innovation in smart machines, robotics and autonomous systems. Working with the support of an Industry Group representing 16 sectors of economic activity currently examining or implementing RAS systems within development and operational road maps, The Committee is documenting deployment best practice and collaborating on cross-sector guidance to advance industry neutral regulatory innovation.
The National Committee on Robotics Regulations and Standards
For further information contact:
Paul Flowers
paul.flowers@smartcitymkcic.co.uk