American robotics firm launches Edinburgh hub after being 'impressed by local talent'

American robotics firm Launchpad Build has launched a new research and development hub here in Edinburgh.

The site will employ a team of 24, and is aimed at developing its proprietary robotics technology. Launchpad chose Scotland over five international alternatives, report Insider.

The company was also awarded a £2million Scottish Enterprise grant towards the project. Launchpad chief financial officer Jon Quick said: “We see Scotland as our gateway to the UK, Europe and Middle East and Northern Africa.

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“We’ve been hugely impressed by the quality of local talent, so much so that we’re exploring multiple ways to increase the scope and size of our Scottish operations and accelerating plans to bring the Digitool overseas.

“There are 500 million manufacturing and assembly jobs globally, but only 1.7 million robots doing them, which presents a huge opportunity,“ he continued. “Historically the upfront costs associated with automation have been prohibitive for many, but we can deliver in half the time and at half the cost through the use of AI and machine learning.

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“Instead of automation being a multi-million-dollar career defining decision it can now be a case of identifying the biggest problem in your factory - the job nobody wants to do - and automating it in a way that that seamlessly fits with your existing processes, creating savings from day one.

“As we look to the future more and more companies will need a blend of local labour and automation to remain competitive; that is the ‘secret sauce’ which will allow Scotland and others to reshore jobs from overseas.”

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Adrian Gillespie, chief executive of Scottish Enterprise, said: “The fact that such an innovative company chose Edinburgh for its global R&D hub is a ringing endorsement of Scotland’s robotics and AI talent, our supportive business environment and world-class universities. We look forward to working with the Launchpad team to support their continued growth here.”

Business Minister Richard Lochhead added: “Launchpad’s decision to open its new global R&D hub in Edinburgh shows Scotland’s attractiveness to global businesses, proving the nation has the skills and expertise to serve as a hub for innovation.

“We’ve been working in partnership with the National Robotarium to develop a robotics cluster in this field, utilising Scotland’s globally renowned research institutions to accelerate growth and technological advancement.”