Project Overview

Key Activities

RISE will explore how robotics can transform network management, maintenance, and operations, identifying where automation can support or replace high‑risk, labour‑intensive, or disruptive tasks. By enabling faster, safer working practices and more efficient operations, robotics can minimise customer disruption. The project will define how automation can unlock new capabilities, strengthen resilience, and provide a clear roadmap for meeting future operational, regulatory, and decarbonisation goals.

Expected Benefits

RISE will assess the technical feasibility, scalability and costs and benefits of applying high‑value robotics applications to enhance safety, efficiency and resilience in field operations, ensuring DNOs target investment at the right technologies and operational functions.

Financial Benefit – Reducing the Cost of Operating the Network 

Robotics could deliver major benefits for electricity distribution, including safer operations, improved productivity, higher reliability, lower costs, richer data insights, improved environmental compliance and stronger support for decarbonisation and renewable integration. These benefits position robotics as a cornerstone technology for the next generation of electricity networks. These efficiencies directly support future reductions in the overall cost of running the network.

Financial Benefit – Annual Savings on Consumer Energy Bills 

Operational savings can be achieved through robotics—such as fewer customer interruptions, reduced fault‑response costs, and more efficient maintenance—can flow through to consumers under regulatory mechanisms. By enabling safer, faster and more reliable field operations, robotics can help reduce annual energy bills for households and businesses, supporting affordability alongside decarbonisation.

Financial Benefit – Annual Savings for Users of Network Services

Customers benefit from reduced connection delays, fewer planned outages, and more predictable maintenance windows. Robotics can minimise disruption, and improve reliability, lowering the indirect and direct costs faced by network users and enabling faster grid expansion.

New‑to‑Market Products and Supply Chain Growth 

Robotics adoption creates opportunities for suppliers to develop new tools, platforms and services tailored to electricity distribution. RISE will help shape a clearer, problem‑led market signal, enabling innovators to design solutions that meet real operational needs. This strengthens the UK robotics supply chain and accelerates commercialisation of new‑to‑market products that can be deployed across GB networks.

Progress

Discovery funded, with the project starting on 5th May 2026

Funding

Total Discovery costs: £161,985
SIF Discovery funding requested: £145,787

Start/End Dates

Start: 05-05-2026
End: 31-08-2026

Project Partners

The National Robotarium
CeeD Scotland