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Explore & Discover Everything Wootzano

News & Updates

In the exciting world of robotics, things change rapidly!
Stay up to date with all that's happening here at Wootzano; catch up with new senior employees, awards, events and milestones.

Awards

BusinessiQ Awards

Made in the North East Winner

Wootzano makes robots that feel and sense like humans do. The judges were impressed by the increased production and the scale up of the manufacturing process of the electronic skin to more than 180 a day within the last year.

FPC award

Wootzano’s robotic system, Avarai, is designed to meet the demands of post-harvest production by automating packhouses and overcoming enduring labour shortages. The picking and packing robot’s hands are outfitted with Wootzkin, a unique artificial electronic skin that gives the robots human-like characteristics to handle soft produce with sensitivity...

BusinessiQ Awards

Articles & Publications

Wootzano Brings International Agriculture Leaders to Newcastle

A range of speakers delivered talks on the futuristic developments in 'agtech' and saw North East-developed robotics in action

Robotics & Automation Awards Finalist

The finalists for the inaugural Robotics and Automation Awards have been announced and Wootzano has been selected for 4 categories. Check them out here...

TechCrunch's Battlefield 200

TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield 200 is the world’s preeminent startup competition. Startup Battlefield 200 showcases the top 200 startups from around the globe, across multiple industries at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023

UK Fresh Produce Packing Robot Launches in US Market

The company's Avarai robot is able to carefully handle perishable fresh produce without causing bruising or damage thanks to an "embedded electronic skin"

British Robotics Company Launches Operations in the United States

Wootzano is delighted to announce the official launch of its operations in the United States, with the first Avarai robotic system…

County Durham's Wootzano Reveals US Expansion for Fruit and Veg Robot Tech

Adoption of the North East-developed robotics tech in California

Wootzano Launches Cutting-Edge Robotics in US to Tackle Labour Challenges and Foster Sustainability

Wootzano Ltd, has officially launched its operations in the United States

North East Business Awards 2023

Congratulations to the sub-regional heat winners!! The sub-regional winners now go head-to-head at the Grand Final in September

Hub 10 | Case Study Dr Atif Syed

Enterprise Hub Member and 10th Anniversary champion, Dr Atif Syed launched WootZano, with the support of Enterprise Fellowship in 2018.

Just a Little of That Electronic Touch

The Device Chronicle interviews Atif Syed, CEO of Wootzano, a provider of robotic systems that can process and package fruit.

First Robotic Fruit Packer Could Revolutionise Packaging Lines

Robotic applications in industry are ever-increasing. It has gone from tech only seen on car production lines to now being utilised in even more general retail environments.

Christine Boles Discusses Key Robotics Technology from Intel - The Robot Report

Christine Boles, VP and GM of Intel's Industrial Solutions discusses the key technologies available for robotics development and future technologies.
Timestamp: 59:00 for Wootzano

Heroes And Leaders Honoured At BUSINESSiQ Award Evening

What a night! The very best North East business - and the amazing people who lead them - have been to Ramside Hall for the inaugural BUSINESSiQ…

BBC Radio Tees | Gary Philipson, 27/04/2023

Gary Philipson interviews Wootzano's COO, Jesse Opoku, at their Sedgefield-based test centre. Listen from 10:12 for our segment about robotics and the labour shortage.

UK Net Zero Start-Ups Keen To Tap Into Malaysia's Tech Ecosystem

10 UK net zero start-ups pitched their technologies for up to $1 million investment and entry into an accelerator programme for green start-ups.

Defra Awards £9.13m To Agri-Robotics

Projects on robotic crop harvesting, a new way of cultivating potatoes and an autonomous cow bedding system are to receive a share of the funding

Sedgefield's Wootzano Joins Project To Combat Food Picking Labour Shortages

The County Durham firm's robotics knowledge is being used to develop harvesting technology

Spring 2023| The Northern Echo BusinessiQ

Shortlisted companies for the BusinessiQ Awards 2023 and the technology that got them there
Wootzano pages 47 and 54

INCH Issue Number 36_Hortiultural-Robots

Technical English magazine for German speakers. Page 30 looks at Fruit Pickers With Potential.

March 2023| Robotics & Innovation

Six leading STEM professionals with experience across the robotics, AI and computer-science fields discuss the current gender gap in robotics and its

Atif Syed - CEO & Founder of Wootzano - "Robots Will Give You The Luxury Of Time"

Today we interview Atif Syed, on the Manufacturing Leaders Podcast. Atif is the CEO and Founder of Wootzano. A business who ..

Shortlists Revealed For Insider’s Made In The North East Awards 2023

Insider have revealed the high-quality manufacturing and engineering business that have been shortlisted for...

Robots In The Packinghouse - AG INFORMATION NETWORK OF THE WEST- USA

Labor continues to be one of the biggest challenges for farmers, but the problems don’t end at harvest.

Warehousta La Vista, baby

"The word 'robot' may conjure up images of sci-fi films like 'terminator' or 'I, Robot' but the reality is that robots are a staple of the modern warehouse..."

Shortlist For The Insider North East Young Professionals 2022 | Insider Media

We were proud to have multiple employees selected as finalists for the Young Digital & Tech Professionals category, 2022.

Dr Atif Syed - 2022 Princess Royal Silver Medal Winner | youtube

Dr Atif Syed, CEO and founder of Wootzano, has been awarded a Princess Royal Silver Medal by the Royal Academy of Engineering Find out more: raeng.org.uk/awards

Almost Everything About These Robots Is Unique, Including... | Horti daily

As many countries around the world face serious labour shortages, more and more fresh produce companies are looking at ways to...

FPC Fresh Awards -Innovation Excellence Awards | FPC

See this year's winners for the FPC Awards 2022.

Ingenia Issue 92 September 2022 | Ingenia

See this year's winners of the Princess Royal Silver medal. Our CEO & founder is featured on page 37.

Princess Royal Silver Medallists - Dr Atif Syed Credit - Layton Thompson.jpg

Princess Royal Silver Medal Winner! | Royal Academy of Engineering

The Princess Royal Silver Medal celebrates an outstanding personal contribution made to UK engineering by an early to mid-career engineer.

Finalist For The FPC Agritech & Innovation Excellence Award | FPC Awards

The finalists for this year's prestigious FPC Fresh Awards have now been revealed. Check below to see the list of businesses.

Wootzano - AI-powered Robotic Fruit Packer #SIFStories

with the labour crisis in UK agriculture growing rapidly, there is increasing interest in the potential role that robotics could play across the food industry.

AI on the Move 01.31.2022 | Eric Kavanagh | Inside Analysis

Artificial Intelligence is hardly new. The term was coined in 1956, though an AI winter or two would follow. That won't happen again, as AI is now officially...

Winners of Made in the North East Awards Revealed | Invest North Tyneside

The winners of the Insider Made in North East Awards have been revealed, celebrating the best and most innovative manufacturers in the region

Robots Set To Take Over Wind Farm Maintenance - BIM+

Combined human and robot teams could be carrying out wind farm maintenance within 10 years and, by 2050, the maintenance could be carried out entirely by robots following successful Innovate UK-funded trials.

The Human Touch - Robots For Completing Tasks That Require Human Senses | Robotics Tomorrow

Can a robot have feelings? Some robots are programmed to show emotion, from online artificial

Electronic Skin Gives Robots The Human Touch | The Engineer

An electronic skin designed to give robots the same sense of touch as that of humans has been developed in the UK

The Biggest Deal By a British Robotics Company Signed In The North East Of England | UKSPA

Wootzano Ltd, a robotics company of fewer than 3 years, closed the biggest contract for any robotics company in the UK known to date.

AI Robots Use Vision and Touch to Pack Produce | Insight.tech

What If assembly line robots had the sense of touch? Thanks to innovative tech, they do—making digitized pick-and-pack the next big thing in fruit and vegetable processing.

Robot skin And “X-ray Vision” Software For Surgeons Among British Innovations Showcased To Investors – FE News

Robot skin and “x-ray vision” software for surgeons among British innovations showcased to investors

Electronic skin Industry Progresses As Innovative Products & Materials Make Their way ... | Tech 21 Century

Innovation has become a focal point in the electronic skin industry as researchers and scientists have been developing innovative products and materials. With the development of electronic skin for the tasks requiring greater dexterity to charging devices ...

Eureka Moment? Law Firms Report Rush To Patent Ideas Amid UK Lockdown | UK News | The Guardian

Intellectual property lawyers report increased demand for services during Covid-19 crisis...

UK Innovation Strategy: Leading The Future By Creating It | Gov.uk

The UK, along with the rest of the world, has faced exceptional challenges over the past 18 months. Our society, our economy, and our livelihoods have all been affected. In recovering from the pandemic, we must...

MIMRee Fully-Autonomous Inspection And Repair Mission | ORE Catapult

The £4.2m Multi-Platform Inspection, Maintenance and Repair in Extreme Environments (MIMRee) project is an ambitious cross-sector programme combining experti...

Internal News

A Double Delight for Wootzano as FPC's Fresh Awards are Announced!