Starship robots reduce annual emissions by 8 percent in Milton Keynes as new partnership is announced – MKFM 106.3FM

The news comes as the company announces its brand new partnership with Bolt, Uber’s food delivery service rival.

A new report from Oxford Analytica has shown the benefits that Starship robots bring to Milton Keynes.

In Milton Keynes, the robots:

• Reduce annual emissions by 8 percent
• Increase restaurant spend by £10 million per year
• Saved the average household 72 minutes per week

The report also showed that Starship’s national rollout could deliver wider benefits throughout the United Kingdom.

The report, produced by Oxford Analytica, found that new regulation for the technology could nationally lead to:

• 1,200 well-paid STEM jobs by 2030
• Average annual investment of £50 million in robot delivery related infrastructure and support
• 25% growth in restaurant revenue across UK cities
• An additional week and a half of free time saved every year for consumers 
• 46,000,000 kilograms of CO2 emissions reduced by 2030

It comes after the news that Starship signed new partnership with Bolt, the first European mobility super-app.

The brand new joint venture with Bolt will make ‘deliveries more profitable and efficient through the use of robots,’ verdict reports.

Ahti Heinla, founder and Chief Technology Officer at Starship said that regulation in the UK is not keeping up with the pace of the growth in the autonomous delivery sector, noting that many other countries have surpassed the UK: “Half of all US states have introduced state-wide laws, while countries like Japan, Finland and Estonia have developed regulations to permit autonomous robot delivery nationally”. They went on to say that “despite strong rhetoric on technology and innovation from the UK Government, the country is losing its position as a world-leader from inaction – this is low hanging fruit to unlock growth, investment, innovation and high skilled jobs”.

Ben Everitt, MP for Milton Keynes North and Chair of the APPG for self-driving vehicles said “Trailblazing innovation has been in the UK’s DNA for decades. But in an increasingly competitive world, we can only stay ahead with dynamism and flexibility. Companies like Starship provide a roadmap for tech-sector growth around the country, and we need to signal that we remain an attractive place to start, grow and scale exciting tech businesses that economic and social benefits to the communities in which they operate”.

UK-based Vice President Henry Harris-Burland at Starship said “It is clearly a critical moment for our industry. Starship wants to invest and grow operations in the UK, but we’re constrained by outdated regulation. Doing so would help decarbonise deliveries, boost the UK tech sector, and lead to significant inward investment and bring the UK back in line with much of Europe, Asia and North America”.