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The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and the Fukushima Institute for Research, Education and Innovation (F-REI) have signed a memorandum of cooperation (MOC) on joint research in robotics and autonomous systems.聽

The MOC fosters UK-Japan collaboration between the government-funded organisations, enhancing joint research opportunities and advancing science and innovation in key technical areas, such as:聽

• Robotics and autonomous systems: supporting nuclear decommissioning, operations in challenging environments and advanced manufacturing聽

• Facility management and collaboration: sharing best practices in research facilities, harnessing a culture of innovation and commercialisation聽

• Talent and skills: initiatives to drive partnerships and support talent and skills development.聽

UKAEA鈥檚 Executive Director, Prof. Rob Buckingham, commented: 鈥淲e are delighted to collaborate with F-REI, as both organisations share a strong commitment to advancing science and innovation in key technical areas, including robotics and autonomous systems. UKAEA has established robust partnerships with leading Japanese organisations, and this collaboration marks an exciting opportunity to expand those connections. By leveraging our shared experience and expertise, I am confident we can further strengthen UK-Japan engagement across government, industry, and academia, driving cutting-edge advancements with real-world impact.鈥澛�

F-REI鈥檚 President, Dr. Koetsu Yamazaki, remarked: 鈥淔-REI and UKAEA share complementary objectives in research, innovation, education, and commercialisation. The UKAEA鈥檚 extensive experience in developing productive research programmes, educational initiatives, innovation and commercialisation pipelines, and collaborative research facilities offers valuable lessons that can significantly benefit F-REI鈥檚 startup goals. We are also excited to enhance Japan鈥檚 scientific and technological capabilities and industrial competitiveness through this international collaboration.鈥澛�

UKAEA鈥檚 mission is to lead the delivery of sustainable fusion energy and maximise the scientific and economic benefit. Established in 2014, UKAEA鈥檚 world-class robotics centre, RACE (Remote Applications in Challenging Environments), has been at the forefront of research and development in the deployment of robotics within extreme industrial environments where human intervention is challenging. Among RACE鈥檚 recent achievements is the successful development of next-generation robotics technologies for decommissioning through the LongOps project, funded by the UK鈥檚 Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Japan鈥檚 Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO).聽

UKAEA is a member of the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration (RAICo) alongside the NDA, Sellafield Ltd and the University of Manchester. The collaboration accelerates deployment of robotics and AI to solve shared nuclear decommissioning and fusion engineering challenges.聽

F-REI, established by the Government of Japan in April 2023 under the Act on Special Measures for the Reconstruction and Revitalization of Fukushima, is dedicated to becoming a world-class core centre for creative reconstruction. F-REI embodies the dreams and aspirations of Fukushima and other parts of the Tohoku region, aiming to drive Japan鈥檚 scientific and technological capabilities and industrial competitiveness. The institute conducts research and development in the following five key areas:

• Robotics
• Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries
• Energy
• Radiation science, medicine, drug development, and industrial applications for radiation
• The collection and dissemination of data and knowledge on nuclear disasters.

The MOC was signed by Koetsu Yamazaki and Rob Buckingham on 4 March 2025 at UKAEA鈥檚 Culham Campus, UK.