Global Underwater Hub (GUH), the leading trade and industry development body for the UK’s underwater sectors, has launched a new Underwater Robotics and Autonomy Forum to accelerate collaboration and innovation in subsea robotics.
The forum brings together technology and robotics organisations from across the industry and will provide a platform to share expertise and advance the development of unmanned, remotely operated and autonomous underwater systems.
Within a wider national focus on robotics and automation manufacturing and operation, subsea operations remain at the forefront of known demand and operational centres of excellence from which other sectors can leverage. The Underwater Robotics and Autonomy Forum will focus on sector-agnostic robotic applications and emerging technologies capable of operating beyond human capability, supporting the UK’s ambition to strengthen its position as a global leader in subsea robotics.
Mark Collins, business development director at Soil Machine Dynamics (SMD) and chair of the Underwater Robotics and Autonomy Forum, said:
“Every energy sector relies on robotics and autonomous systems in some form, and their role will only become more important as offshore industries scale up and operate in increasingly challenging environments.
“The forum brings together expertise from across GUH’s membership to help coordinate activity, encourage cross-sector collaboration and ensure the UK supply chain is well positioned to support growing demand for advanced underwater technologies in offshore energy, defence, marine science and other markets.”
Initial discussion areas will centre around the need for more test facilities for new robotics equipment, insurance and regulatory challenges and interfacing with operators and developers to better understand operating challenges and work scope requirements from both sides.
The forum launched prior to the return of the GUH’s Underwater Robotics Conference in 2025, with participating forum members including SMD, DeepOcean, Helix Robotics Solutions, High Performance Robotics (HPR), Kraken, Rovtech, ROVOP, Saipem and The National Robotarium.
The next iteration of the event, the Underwater Robotics Conference 2026, will be held at the Murrayfield Stadium Conference Centre in Edinburgh on Tuesday, 30 June 2026.
The one-day conference will bring together leaders from across the industry, including operators, developers and the full robotics supply chain and technology organisations with a shared interest in the development and application of underwater robotic technologies. Registration for the event is open now.
Neil Gordon, chief executive of GUH, said:
“Global Underwater Hub has long been a champion of the UK’s subsea robotics industry through our annual Underwater Robotics Conference. The creation of the new Underwater Robotics and Autonomy Forum, as a core part of our Strategic Programme, marks an important next step in strengthening collaboration across the sector.
“Robotics will play a critical role in the next-generation installation and operations and maintenance phases identified within the offshore wind sector’s Industrial Growth Plan. Through this forum and our upcoming conference, we want to highlight the support, investment and collaboration needed to accelerate innovation in subsea robotics, while helping to create new opportunities and greater diversification for the UK supply chain.”
GUH is also asking companies interested in subsea robotics to present at the Underwater Robotics Conference 2026.
Delivering a presentation at the event is an opportunity for those working in the underwater robotics and autonomous and unmanned underwater vehicles space, along with regulators and insurers, to highlight industry challenges and opportunities and lead the debate on the future of the industry.
Those interested in applying should submit a 200–300-word abstract focused on data acquisition, artificial intelligence and interpretation, regulation and insurance, seabed crawlers and intervention or developments in uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs).
The deadline to submit an abstract is Monday, 30th March 2026 at 3pm.
The Underwater Robotics Conference 2026 is headline sponsored by SMD, with SAAB as event sponsor. A limited number of other sponsorship opportunities are available for the event.
Discounted registration rates for the conference are available for GUH members. Conference bookings will close for attendees on Tuesday, 23 June 2026 at 12pm.
To register to attend the Underwater Robotics Conference or to submit an abstract, Click here. To enquire about sponsorship opportunities at the event, contact [email protected]