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Press Release

Cumbrian School Students Take on Nuclear Robotics Challenge

16 Apr 2026

Energy Coast University Technical College (UTC) students from a previous challenge with their robot

  • A collaborative programme with local industry is helping to build vital skills in robotics, AI, and nuclear to support the region’s future workforce.

  • Students aged 16–18 from three Cumbrian schools are putting their skills to the test as they begin building robots for the nuclear industry.

Cumbrian-based organisations, The Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration (RAICo) and the Industrial Solutions Hub (iSH) are together running their annual Robotics School Sprint challenge, which is launching this week.

Teams from West Coast Sixth Form Centre, Energy Coast UTC, and Lakes College West Cumbria will spend the next five weeks designing, building, and programming small robots capable of tackling a mock version of a real-world nuclear challenge, safely moving high-hazard waste into a designated storage area. Each school will be supported by industry professionals volunteering their time and expertise.

Students studying A Levels and T Levels across a wide range of subjects will take part in weekly sprint sessions. These hands-on workshops provide practical experience in robotics, programming, and engineering, with direct support from professionals working in the nuclear sector, complementing their studies. They will then have to demonstrate their solution in front of experienced robotics engineers at RAICo1 in Whitehaven – the first in a series of robotics and AI collaboration facilities planned across the UK.

Now in its third year, the challenge is designed to give students meaningful, real-world experience by applying their learning to industry-inspired problems. It also provides a valuable opportunity to engage directly with professionals in robotics, AI, and nuclear engineering, offering insight into career pathways as well as developing their soft skills – including teamwork, presentation, and engaging with senior professionals.

The initiative has been so successful that it has been officially recognised by Skills Builder Partnership as achieving Impact Level 4, the highest possible accreditation. This recognition highlights the programme’s exceptional quality in developing essential skills, demonstrating measurable impact, and embedding best practice in education and industry engagement.

Hollie Johnston, Project Manager at RAICo, said:

“Nuclear remains an important employer in Cumbria, with a wide range of exciting careers that use cuttingedge technology. Robotics and AI are playing a bigger role every year, from cleaning up nuclear sites to shaping the future of fusion energy. Projects like this help young people explore these careers early on, build confidence in STEM skills, and see how they could be part of the region’s future workforce.”

Hannah Pears, Skills Lead at iSH, added:

“This programme is about making careers in robotics and AI feel accessible and achievable. Students gain first-hand experience of what working on a real challenge looks like and develop valuable, practical skills. Just as importantly, they meet people already working in these fields locally, which helps bring those career paths to life and makes them feel within reach. This is how we are building the next generation of talent and strengthening the future pipeline into higher technical education and careers, supporting the workforce needs for local companies across the Cumbria Robotics Cluster.”

RAICo and iSH welcome interest from partners who would like to support future school sprint programmes.

ENDS

About the organisers

The Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration (RAICo) is a partnership between the UK Atomic Energy Authority, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Sellafield Ltd. the University of Manchester, and AWE Nuclear Security Technologies. It focuses on accelerating the deployment of robotics and AI in nuclear decommissioning and fusion engineering.

The Industrial Solutions Hub (iSH) works to strengthen West Cumbria’s technical capabilities through innovation, collaboration and capability development. It leads the Cumbria Robotics Cluster, bringing together organisations including Sellafield Ltd, RAICo, and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority to position the region as a global centre of excellence in robotics engineering, particularly for challenging environments such as the nuclear sector.