SPEERI Cross Tech Workshop Poll Findings
In May, SPEERI attended All-Energy 2026, supporting a number of activities across the two-day conference, including a series of Cross Tech Workshops. The workshops were Robotics & Offshore Wind, Digital Solutions for the Deployment of Clean Heat, and Engineering Transport & Storage Solutions for Hydrogen.
As part of this series, we asked participants to take part in a poll specific to each of the workshops. The findings from each of the polls are presented and analysed below.
As offshore wind continues to expand, the industry faces a growing operational challenge: how to inspect, maintain and manage increasingly large, remote and complex assets safely, efficiently and cost-effectively. Robotics and autonomous systems are emerging as an important part of the answer.
At SPEERI’s Robotics & Offshore Wind Workshop at All-Energy 2026, participants explored the major operational and maintenance challenges shaping the next decade of offshore wind, alongside the role that robotics could play in overcoming some of the sector’s toughest constraints. The live poll conducted on the day showed a clear message: industry sees strong potential in robotics and offshore wind solutions, but deployment at scale is not yet straightforward.
“The strongest area of immediate value identified by workshop participants was safety, selected by 54% of respondents.”
Only 8% of respondents felt that robotic solutions are ready to be deployed at scale today, while 46% felt that pilots exist but offshore operating constraints remain the biggest barrier. This reflects the wider sector picture. Offshore wind farms are moving further from shore and into more challenging environments, increasing the need for safer, more reliable and data-rich approaches to inspection, monitoring and maintenance.
The strongest area of immediate value identified by workshop participants was safety, selected by 54% of respondents. This is consistent with wider robotics innovation activity, where reducing the need for personnel to work in hazardous offshore environments is a major driver. Robotic systems, drones, remotely operated vehicles, autonomous vessels and AI-enabled inspection tools all have potential to reduce exposure to difficult weather conditions, vessel transfers, working at height and subsea inspection risks.
Inspection and monitoring were also clear priorities. When asked which technologies had the most potential for offshore wind at scale, participants selected Remote Operated Vehicles as the leading option, followed by drones and AI inspection software. Other responses highlighted blade inspection, mooring and subsea inspection, seabed surveys, data collection, asset condition monitoring, performance assessment and maintenance planning as tasks that could benefit from automation.
“Human oversight remains essential.”
However, the workshop also showed that robotics is not seen as a simple replacement for people. No respondents believed robotics would significantly replace existing roles. Instead, 68% felt that some roles would change and new ones would emerge, while others saw robotics as a way to augment and support the workforce. This points to a future in which robotics supports better decision-making, improves safety and creates new skills requirements across the offshore wind supply chain.
Human oversight remains essential. While 76% of participants said they would trust autonomous systems in safety-critical operations with human oversight, there was no support for removing human presence entirely. This suggests that the near-term opportunity lies in human-machine collaboration rather than full autonomy.
Unlocking this opportunity will require a wide range of engineering disciplines. Mechanical and marine engineers are needed to design robust robotic platforms that can survive harsh offshore environments. Electrical, electronic and control engineers are central to sensing, actuation, autonomy and power systems. Civil, structural and offshore engineers bring expertise in turbines, foundations, cables, subsea assets and asset integrity. Data scientists, AI specialists and software engineers are needed to turn inspection outputs into actionable intelligence. Human factors, safety, systems engineering, materials, manufacturing and environmental expertise will also be critical.
The challenge is not only technical. Participants in SPEERI’s wider North East Collaboration Forum for Energy highlighted the need for clearer industry challenge definition, access to real-world data and test sites, common standards, skills development, shared infrastructure and stronger collaboration between industry, academia and government.
For offshore wind, robotics and autonomous systems represent a significant opportunity to improve safety, inspection quality, operational efficiency and long-term asset management. But progress will depend on coordinated action: aligning real-world industry needs with academic capability, developing robust technologies that can operate reliably offshore, and ensuring the workforce has the skills to work confidently with increasingly autonomous systems.
The message from the workshop was clear: robotics has a vital role to play in the future of offshore wind, but its greatest value will come when it is developed collaboratively, tested rigorously and deployed as part of a wider engineering and innovation ecosystem.
Clean heat deployment is one of Scotland’s most important net zero delivery challenges. Heat accounts for a major share of Scotland’s energy demand and emissions, yet the transition from pilots and policy ambition to large-scale deployment remains at an early stage. The workshop poll reflected this clearly: most participants felt Scotland is either in the early stages or only making progress, with very few seeing the system as ready to scale.
The strongest barriers identified were upfront cost, accessible finance, policy clarity, public awareness, and the challenge of moving from successful pilots to repeatable delivery models. This points to a central issue: Scotland does not lack ambition or innovation, but deployment is still too fragmented. Different buildings, ownership models, local grid constraints, consumer needs and supply-chain capacity all affect whether clean heat solutions can be delivered affordably and confidently.
Digital solutions have a critical role to play in closing this gap. Participants highlighted the need for better use of measured data from demonstrators, clearer tools to support technology choice, stronger visibility of building stock and demand profiles, and better integration across heat, power and buildings. Digital tools can help local authorities, housing providers, delivery teams and investors understand what needs to happen, where, when, and at what cost. Used well, they can reduce rework, manage risk, tailor solutions to local contexts, and build the evidence needed for investment and policy decisions.
“If digital solutions are designed around real places, real people and real operational constraints, they can help Scotland move from clean heat ambition to practical, investable and scalable delivery.”
However, the poll also showed that digital innovation must be grounded in real-world delivery. Participants were clear that tools must be trusted, usable, flexible and based on high-quality data. Overly complex models, poor assumptions, inaccessible systems, or tools that ignore the needs of end users risk slowing progress rather than accelerating it. The strongest message was that digital solutions should support decision-making, not create another layer of complexity.
Scalable clean heat deployment will therefore depend on combining policy certainty, finance, skills, grid readiness and public engagement with better digital planning and monitoring capability. The opportunity is to move from isolated projects to coordinated programmes: using data from pilots, buildings, networks and users to create replicable pathways for delivery. If digital solutions are designed around real places, real people and real operational constraints, they can help Scotland move from clean heat ambition to practical, investable and scalable delivery.
The Engineering Transport and Storage Solutions for Hydrogen Workshop brought together industry, academic and policy stakeholders to explore one of the most critical challenges facing the hydrogen economy: how Scotland can efficiently transport, store and utilise hydrogen at scale.
“80% of participants viewed hydrogen as either a major opportunity or one with significant potential in specific sectors”
The workshop polling highlighted continued confidence in Scotland’s hydrogen opportunity, with 80% of participants viewing hydrogen as either a major opportunity or one with significant potential in specific sectors. This reflects Scotland’s enviable position as one of Europe’s most resource-rich locations for green hydrogen production. Abundant offshore wind resources, extensive renewable energy generation and an established energy infrastructure base provide a strong foundation for large-scale hydrogen production and export ambitions. Scotland has set ambitious targets of 5GW of hydrogen production capacity by 2030 and 25GW by 2045, with hydrogen expected to become an increasingly important component of the future energy system.
Discussions during the panel session reinforced that the opportunity is significant, but delivery will depend on overcoming a number of well-recognised market barriers. Participants identified transport infrastructure, hydrogen-derived fuels and production capacity as priority areas for future development, reflecting growing recognition that the success of hydrogen will depend not only on how it is produced, but also on how it is moved, stored and integrated into industrial and transport systems.
“Nearly half of respondents expressed confidence or strong confidence in Scotland’s ability to develop cost-competitive green hydrogen solutions.”
The workshop also highlighted the challenges that continue to slow market growth. Industry participants pointed to the need for clearer long-term policy direction, reduced production costs, stronger market signals and greater investor confidence. Concerns around infrastructure readiness, storage technologies, safety considerations and the development of reliable offtake markets were recurring themes throughout the discussion. These challenges are consistent with wider European experience, where many announced hydrogen projects have yet to progress to final investment decision due to market uncertainty, investment risk and evolving regulatory frameworks.
Importantly, participants demonstrated confidence that Scotland can establish a competitive position over the next decade, with nearly half expressing confidence or strong confidence in Scotland’s ability to develop cost-competitive green hydrogen solutions. The strongest end-use opportunities were identified in industrial applications, hydrogen-derived fuels for shipping and aviation, and industrial feedstocks—areas where hydrogen is increasingly viewed as one of the few viable pathways to decarbonisation.
The discussion concluded that Scotland has many of the ingredients required to become a leading hydrogen nation, including renewable energy resources, engineering expertise, industrial capability and export potential. The next phase of development will require coordinated investment in transport and storage infrastructure, continued technology innovation, clear policy support and the creation of strong domestic and international demand. If these challenges can be addressed, Scotland is well positioned to play a leading role in supplying low-carbon hydrogen and hydrogen-derived fuels to both UK and European markets.
