On Friday, September 25, 2026, the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom—an overseas J-PEAKS partner university of Nagaoka University of Technology (NUT)—hosted the JSPS-supported Japan-UK joint symposium titled “UK-Japan Symposium on Smart Robotics in the AI Era.”

This symposium was held with support from the “JSPS London Symposium and Seminar Scheme,” a grant program of the JSPS London Research Liaison Center. Focusing on smart robotics in the AI era and the emerging field of “physical AI” driven by edge AI technologies, promising young and mid-career researchers and graduate students gathered from NUT, the University of Sheffield, and Osaka Metropolitan University (OMU), a J-PEAKS partner university.

The program was moderated by Associate Professor Shuhei Miyashita of the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) at the University of Sheffield. The event featured opening remarks by Professor George Panoutsos, Head of the School, an explanation of the program’s objectives by Tadahiko Nakayama, Specially Appointed Vice President of our university, and presentations on the program by Masahiko Hara, Director of the JSPS London Research Liaison Center, and Daiki Sato, Deputy Director. A total of 16 researchers from Japan and the UK delivered presentations.

During the research sessions, participants engaged in two keynote speeches from Osaka Metropolitan University (OMU), as well as presentations and Q&A sessions on cutting-edge topics that integrate hardware and AI—including autonomous driving, human-robot interaction (HRI), biohybrid and molecular robotics, medical and implantable robots, agricultural robots, and physical reservoir computing. In addition to research content, each presentation featured insights into individual researchers’ career paths, their future visions for “Smart Robotics in the AI Era,” and even concrete ideas for collaboration between Japan and the UK, keeping the venue buzzing with excitement throughout the day.

Furthermore, through networking sessions between sessions and during lunch breaks, mutual understanding and exchange among researchers—transcending the boundaries of universities and national borders—were greatly deepened, allowing us to take the first step toward establishing a concrete and sustainable framework for cooperation with a view to launching future international collaborative research projects and facilitating the exchange of young researchers and students.

Through the J-PEAKS project, NUT will continue to strengthen its international network with overseas partner institutions, including the University of Sheffield, and vigorously promote cutting-edge research that contributes to global technological innovation and sustainable development.

Event Overview
• Date and Time: Friday, September 25, 2026, 8:30 a.m.–6:00 p.m. (local time)
• Venue: Sir Frederick Mappin Building (Mappin Hall), University of Sheffield
• Funding: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) London Research Liaison Center
• Participating Universities: Nagaoka University of Technology, University of Sheffield, Osaka Metropolitan University
☛ Program:https://www.jsps.org/pdf/UKJapanSymposiumSmartRobotsintheAIEratentativeprogramme.pdf
☛ JSPS London Research Liaison Center website: https://www.jsps.org/events/

Issued by
Head Office for Research Strategy, Nagaoka University of Technology: Kuribayashi, Saito, Takei