 Menlym y cyffrous iawn y cynlluniau'r masriedsiaid sydd yn ddiolch i ganlunaeth ag Gen varyg. Diolch i ddiolch i ddiolch i adnodion gyfasysigol sydd yn cyt webinar o'r unigol ar Unigol Rhebotu Cynlluniau. A byddai gwhipbwysigol ar gyfer gweithio i'w ddweud gyda'r cwmwysigol sydd wedi gweithio, I would ask those members who would wish to speak in the debate to please press the request-to-speak buttons. I call on Gordon MacDonald to open the debate around seven minutes, please. Thank you, Presiding Officer, and I'll take this opportunity to thank all those members who supported this motion in order that it could be debated tonight. In addition, I welcome to the gallery Stuart Miller, CEO, the staff and researchers from the National Robotarium. Sorry, you've had to wait so long. Last November, I visited the new £22 million robotarium located at Heriot-Watt Research Park in my constituency of Edinburgh Pentlands. A collaboration between Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh is part of the £1.3 billion Edinburgh and South East Scotland City region deal, funded by both the Scottish and UK Governments. It is the largest and most advanced applied research facility for robotics and artificial intelligence found anywhere in the UK. This state-of-the-art facility boasts high-spec laboratories with unrival technology and facilities. It is the only centre of its kind in the world, featuring laser labs, autonomous systems laboratories and a living lab for trialling technology and a realistic home setting. It is dedicated to the development and testing of robotics and artificial intelligence solutions in three distinct areas, robotics and autonomous systems, human and robot interaction and high precision manufacturing. This centre of excellence aims through research and knowledge exchange to address real-world challenges and industrial needs with a focus on hazardous environments, offshore energy, manufacturing, construction, healthcare, human-robot interaction, assisted living and agri-tech. Why is it necessary? Well, according to data from the 2021 World Robotics report, there are estimated to be in the region of 3 million industrial robots in the world, a 10 per cent increase from the year before. Oxford Economics estimates that this is expected to increase to around 20 million industrial robots by 2030. To remain competitive and grow our economy, the UK needs to increase productivity. However, this is at a time when the exodus of EU labour due to Brexit has ensured that we have the second lowest growth in the G20 just ahead of Russia, according to a forecast by the OECD. One way of replacing that lost labour would be to invest in robotics. Examination of the use of robotics in the manufacturing sector highlights how far the UK has fallen behind in using this technology. The World Robotics report highlights that the world average number of robots in manufacturing per 10,000 employees was 126. The UK had 101, putting it in the 24th position in the global league table of robot densities. Comparing it to other G7-leading economies, the UK was last with both Japan and Germany having nearly four times the UK's robot density. The situation was even worse when compared to the leading countries of Korea and Singapore with the UK only having 11 per cent and 17 per cent of their density respectively. In order to start to address the shortfall in industrial robotic use, there needs to be a strategic policy that focuses on the ecosystem that is required to build a robotics sector here in Scotland. That would highlight the way forward in education and skills, research and testing, a testing certification regime for robotics and appropriate investment. Another area facing similar challenges in recruiting and retaining staff is social care. This is at a time when demand is increasing for the services people get older and health conditions become more complex. The UK population over the age of 65 is expected to increase from 12 million today to 17 million by 2035. A House of Commons briefing highlighted that robotics and social care can provide three types of assistance—physical, social and cognitive. That can take many forms. For example, robots have been developed to assist with feeding and washing, remind users when to take their medicine, detect and prevent falls, and also robots have been designed to provide companionship and assist with loneliness and social engagement. We need focused tax breaks by the UK Government to encourage investment in robotics and, in particular, home-grown manufacturing in order that this technology can help to address labour shortages. In other countries, a rise in the adoption of robotic vacuum cleaners was observed during Covid-19. The need for disinfection and thorough cleaning at the same time as cleaning staff were off sick or in lockdown gave rise to the increased use of robotic vacuum cleaners. This technology proves so ideal that it is now estimated to be 40 million robotic vacuum cleaners in the world, and the market is expected to increase by 23 per cent by 2030. Scotland, unlike many areas of the UK, still has a manufacturing base, and the national robotarium is in a position to move innovative products and services rapidly from laboratory to market, to develop new prototypes and support early-stage product development within an incubator environment that drives productivity. Already, the robotarium has been instrumental in developing affordable solutions in health and social care. Researchers at the Centre devised an artificial intelligence companion for those living with Alzheimer's disease and dementia that aim to aid memory recollection, boost confidence and combat depression. Recently, a project supported by the national robotarium was launched to improve robotic cancer surgery with a probe built to take mechanical measures of tumours and surrounding tissue, linked to software with intelligent algorithms for data collection. However, it is not just in healthcare that the national robotarium is innovating ground-breaking solutions. Researchers are also involved in what is considered the world's first autonomous wind farm inspection. Last summer, we supported EDF Renewables UK to deploy a remotely operated vehicle to carry out an inspection of its blithe offshore wind farm off Northumberland as part of a project between EDF and Orca Hub. We need to support our manufacturing sector to work alongside researchers from the national robotarium to ensure that we can tap into the growing robotic sector as manufacturers and not assemblers of robots. Otherwise, we will not be part of this industrial revolution that is bringing good-quality high-tech employment opportunities to those countries already in the forefront of robotic development. I am pleased to be speaking in tonight's debate, and I congratulate my friend and colleague Gordon MacDonald for bringing it to the chamber. I will start with a confession. I am not tech-savvy in any way, but I marvel at the advances that we have made in Scotland in so many different fields that will benefit us and future generations to come. The new partnership of the national robotarium and the University of Edinburgh, based at Herriot-Watt University campus, is a fantastic example of innovation and entrepreneurship coming together. We should be shouting from the rooftops about this. The centre is the largest and most advanced applied research facility for robotics and artificial intelligence AI in the UK. That is awesome. As Gordon MacDonald's motion says, the project focuses on robotics and AI solutions across the three distinct areas of robotics and autonomous systems, human and robot interaction and high-precision manufacturing. The centre complements existing research and industry expertise to address global challenges in areas such as hazardous environments, offshore energy, manufacturing, construction, healthcare, human-robot interaction, assisted living and agritech. That is just for starters. Planning for future innovation, which can be used in so many aspects of our lives, never stops with this partnership, with many more ideas in the pipeline. The impact of this innovation as we go forward cannot be overstressed. This is technology being used to benefit future generations and it will improve lives, save lives and scale up the future challenges of growth and manufacturing. In short, it will transform lives for the better and pave the way into the next century. The centre launched just last September and is supported by £21 million from the UK Government and £1.4 million from the Scottish Government as part of the South East Scotland city region deal. I have great optimism in the future when I hear of advances in medical research in every area. It reassures me that my children and grandchildren may be spared from suffering some of our most serious diseases and conditions. For example, the centre is pioneering a new robot-assisted surgery technique to help to decide how much of the patient's tissue is affected by cancer and should be removed. We heard from the Government that an AI companion will aid memory collection, boost confidence and combat depression in people living with Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia. Incredibly, it is developing advanced machine learning algorithms that will significantly improve the detection, intervention and prevention of online gender-based abuse. That is simply amazing. With the help of the state-of-the-art technology, the dream of a better future for our children is so much closer. However, it is the helpful briefing from the national robotarium states that robots are nothing without people. People need the right knowledge and skills to work with robots in robotic technology. Those skills must be prioritised from Government agencies and funders through to colleges and universities. In Scotland, we have a bright new generation of young people who can meet those skills. I believe that the planning for that should start at school, with courses and opportunities designed to prepare them to be part of our brave new world. However, the national robotarium is on the case with this, too. It has launched a schools and outreach programme designed to drive engagement and broaden access to robotics and AI technologies. Will the member take an intervention? Yes. I congratulate Ray Tarsh High School on my constituency, who has a long-standing robotics club that has won a number of national awards and is an exemplar of such work happening in our schools today. Thank you very much for that intervention. That is really fantastic news, and I really congratulate them because that is what we need to see happening throughout schools in Scotland. In collaboration with industry, the robotarium's engagement programme is also helping up skill and reskill the UK workforce in robotic systems, technology and engineering. In conclusion, the national robotarium is already a world leader in innovative technology. All staff involved in taking us there should be applauded for everything that they are doing. Scotland always punches above its weight when it comes to innovation, and we should be proud that the national robotarium is our gold standard champion. I congratulate Gordon MacDonald on bringing this motion to the chamber and welcome the staff from the national robotarium to the chamber, the public gallery. Reading this motion, there is certainly much to be proud about in relation to the work that they are doing, and the vast potential there is in robotics. In terms of dealing with some of the most hazardous, some of the most monotonous and some of the most repetitive tasks that we ask human beings to do currently, I agree with Gordon MacDonald. The United Kingdom as a whole can do a lot better when it comes to the adoption of robot and automotive technology. One of the most remarkable experiences that I had over the last few years was to visit Fukuoka, in southern Japan, to the Yash, and I've got to be careful that I say this, Yash Kawa Electric Corporation, I should have practised saying that, shouldn't I? Where this company, since 1915, has been in the business of creating machines, is now very much at the leading edge of creating robots. I know that that's something that we can absolutely do here in Scotland and throughout the United Kingdom. I have to say that that experience in southern Japan was spurred to my fascination with technology and the use of innovative new technologies, particularly in its application in business. We Scots rightly pride ourselves on how we develop, improve and apply technology, and we are undoubtedly living in a modern world of rapid technological change, which in its turn brings seismic changes to society and the workplace. When I said that I was fascinated with technological change, I'd venture to say that it's actually a Scottish national fascination, because we are universally acknowledged throughout the world as great engineers and adaptors, the steam engine, the refrigerator, the television, the ATM, the MRI scanner to name but a few of the marvels that have made the modern world that were developed and delivered on our shores. I was privileged a few years ago to meet a company in Scotland behind the development of the technology that is used by frozen food manufacturers to optimise the number of chips that can be cut from a potato. You would expect me in any member's business from now on to raise the subject potatoes. Yes, the wonders of the high-tech tatty were developed here in Scotland. We are at our best when we are at the forefront of technological innovation, bringing together theoretical work and practical applications to create real value. Scots are innovative, we are inventive, we are creators. For example, Glasgow manufactures more satellites than anywhere else in Europe. That should be celebrated and made famous. The University of Stirling is using innovative technologies coupled with a deep understanding of our environment to create the most advanced system of river monitoring in the world, a demonstration project that is unrivaled around the world. Sadly, not all of Scotland's economy, either in the private or the public sector, is at the forefront of the adoption of technological innovation. According to the Labour productivity statistics released by the Scottish Government last year, I quote, in 2021, annual labour productivity as measured by output per hour work remained flat 0% growth compared with 2020. That is in all too familiar story. That is one year, but it is a pattern. This shows that we have some serious problems, because there are sectors of the economy, not least in our energy sector, emerging green economy, pharmaceuticals and chemical sectors that are investing heavily to grow output, but in other parts of the economy, particularly in SMEs, the growth is not present and we risk becoming a technological backwater as a result. I believe that the Scottish Government must do much more proactively to improve our national productivity and that requires investing and encouraging investment in this automotive technology. Future technology, it is not, it is for the present, it exists and can be adopted. That is not least in the public sector, where digital transformation and automation lag many comparable countries with a lack of funding to invest in the future of service delivery. Productivity will increase as we bring together technologies such as AI, robotics automation to a highly scaled and educated workforce. The key to all of this, as we said earlier, is in our schools right now. Where are the computing and technology teachers that we need? Let's agree that we need more of them, because there are 170 fewer computing science teachers, for example, in 2021. Mr Kerr, you are a minute over your time, could you please bring your marks to close? I am indeed. I think that I should make that point again. Mr Kerr, I would ask you to bring your marks to close, you are well over your time. Mr Kerr, could you please just conclude that you are well over your time? There are other members who are seeking to speak. I am trying to do that. I think that you should respect the chair. The chair has asked you to conclude. That means conclude, please. I am doing that. There were 170 fewer computing science teachers in 2021 than there were in 2008, and that just can't be right. Thank you, Mr Kerr. I now call the next speaker, who will be Richard Leonard, to be followed by co-caf steward. Mr Leonard. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I welcome visitors to the public gallery tonight. Can I also thank Gordon MacDonald for providing Parliament with the opportunity to address this important question, which is not just economic or a question of research and development, but it is social and a question of ethics. It reminds us how vital it is that this Parliament does not limit itself solely to the urgent, the immediate and the short term, but it attends to the transformative, the strategic and the long term. Robotic technology and artificial intelligence is something that we have been grappling with all of my adult life, from Andre Gauss's farewell to the working class, to Geoff Mulgan's recent work on the lagging of the democratic behind the scientific and the social behind the technological, in which he concludes that we need a new kind of state to go with the new kind of economy. Last year, I was honoured to chair a Scotland's futures forum seminar in this Parliament on artificial intelligence and accountability. It was led by two distinguished professors from the University of Edinburgh, Shannon Valor and Ramam Muthi, and I would strongly urge members to review the podcast, to read the papers from that seminar, including a scrutiny toolkit, which was released just last week. It is important that democratically elected representatives of the people scrutinise the present and decide the kind of future society we want rather than leave it to the centres of economic power and wealth as democratically elected representatives. It is also important that we fully comprehend the extent, the scale and the dimension of the application of artificial intelligence in areas of public policy under the direct control of this Parliament, from policing and the judicial system to health and social care, from education and welfare to transport and infrastructure. To be clear, this rapid expansion of AI is not an abstract futuristic science fiction, it is happening right now. Let me also be clear that the application of AI and robotics in place of human labour, for example, is only a bad thing if it does not lead to shorter hours and longer life, more leisure time and better living and working conditions for all, which is why I hope that today's motion will be the catalyst for a serious debate in Parliament about power and accountability and work and leisure, and so a debate on whose terms AI and robotics are not just researched and developed, but on whose terms they are delivered and operated, because there are big implications of technology for democracy, big implications of a world governed by big data and algorithms in a society where the real division is not based on status or nationality, but between those who create the wealth and those who own the wealth, and big implications when the concentration of power over the means of production is getting ever greater. Unless this is challenged instead of being courted, unless there is a change in economic and so-in power relations, unless we recognise that the market is not democratic and that we need to plan our economy and our services, then that we simply cannot go on producing according to private profit instead of according to social need, AI and robotisation will do nothing other than perpetuate existing biases, but I am not fatalistic. I think that transformative economic, social and environmental change is within our grasp, that with vision in politics instead of people working for the economy, we can have an economy that works for the people, that we can stand up for democracy so that we can have science in the service of the people, not in the service of the monopolists and the masters of war, that we can take the lead in this Parliament, not only in pioneering this technology but in pioneering the democratic, the ethical, the collective rights and the distribution of power that needs to go with it. That has got to be our priority, that is how progress will be made, that way we can build, rooted in the practical present, a truly socialist, utopian and scientific future. Thank you, Mr Leonard. I now call Copab Stewart to be followed by Pam Gozel. Thank you, Presiding Officer, and I'd like to also thank my colleague Gordon MacDonald for bringing this subject to the Parliament this evening and highlighting the opening of the national robotarium at Herriot-Watt University. I requested to speak in this debate in order to delve deeper into the subject, but members will be aware that I take a keen interest in education research and development, and I'm also very fortunate to have many world-renowned, further and higher educational institutes in my constituency of Glasgow Kelvin. In May last year, MSPs were given the opportunity to test our skills in an assimilation of robotic surgery with the Da Vinci robot. I might reflect that I hope that my skills as a politician are somewhat greater than as a surgeon, but my hand-eye co-ordination wasn't that bad. This remarkable technology is already in use in the Scottish National Health Service. As well as improving the safety, efficiency and precision of procedures, it enables clinicians to operate remotely from anywhere in the world. While the skill of the surgeon remains paramount, the technology enables the NHS to deal with more patients more quickly and with safety assured. It's a great example of technological progress that we are already embracing. Mechatronics, metrology, co-botics and many other areas of research and study and practice will probably be as unfamiliar to other members here as they are to me, yet the impact of those developing specialisms on how we learn, how we live and how we work will only increase as time goes by. Universities and colleges in my constituency of Glasgow-Kelvin are also at the forefront of teaching, research and development across those new technologies. One such example is the University of Glasgow, which has a world-leading reputation in research and teaching in this area. Further enhanced by the opening last year of the state of the art Mwzamdar Shaw Advanced Research Centre, which I have had the pleasure of visiting and I would encourage anyone to do so. I was able to see specific areas of active research and collaboration, including remote robotics, space robotics and electronic skin, which can learn from feeling pain, which could help to create a new generation of smart robots with human-like sensitivity. The University of Strathclyde, also in my constituency, is home to a sensor-enabled automation and robotics control hub, a £24 million research, innovation and technology transfer laboratory and the Centre for Ultrasonic Engineering. It is the anchor university for the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland group, which will soon be opening its digital factory in Renfrewshire. The digital factory will showcase the state of the art applications of robotics, co-botics and automation. The University of Strathclyde also helps academics and students to exploit new innovations around robotics commercially through university spin-out companies and entrepreneurial support. It has become a cliché to say that we need to be educating young people for jobs that do not exist yet, but that does not make it any less true. In conclusion, there is also a huge manufacturing potential for Scotland in this area, and we must capitalise on that. Let us grasp this opportunity while ensuring that all demographics benefit from the community wealth-building possibilities presented by these incredible developing technologies. I thank the member, Gordon MacDonald, for bringing forward a motion recognising the important research that is being done at the National Robotium. As I have said before, innovative technology, as well as great minds behind it, is a powerful driving force behind society's development. Our country is at the pivotal moment in our economy and the labour market that we are facing, an important choice. We can either choose to capitalise on the tools at our disposal or miss out on our technological evolution and the benefits that it can bring to society. Scotland's universities are worth £5 billion a year to the Scottish economy, but the social economic benefits go much further than that. Thanks to the significant investment from across the United Kingdom, the National Robotium is leading the charge. Some of the most pressing issues that Scotland faces are the struggling health and social care system, the stagnating economy and the transition to net zero. However, projects that are under way at the Robotium have the ground-breaking potential to address some of those issues. For example, the centre is developing an artificial intelligence companion that will aid memory recollection, both confidence and combat depression in people living with Alzheimer's disease. Or the new robot-assisted surgery technique to help identify how much of the patient's tissue is affected by cancer and needs to be removed. It can also address growing societal issues such as the detection, intervention and prevention of online gender-based abuse. Of course, it goes without saying that developments at the National Robotium will also build on Scotland's ability to transition to renewables, but innovation of this nature on such a large scale requires people with skills. As the National Robotium says, robots are nothing without humans. The technological process of this kind requires careful planning and consideration, particularly in relation to developing a workforce that can support those changes. The centre places a strong emphasis on entrepreneurship, job creation and building digital skills capacity in the workforce, harnessing both academic and industry collaboration. Industry partnership will connect the know-how and the talent from organisations of all sizes to this, joining up all areas of the economy. However, the centre alone is not enough to grow talent. We here in this chamber also have a duty to make STEM learning appealing and accessible. For example, 38 per cent of higher education students perceive a career in AI to be dull and not for the people like them, but 51 per cent would consider AI after learning more about it. The onus is now on the SNP's Scottish Government to nurture that. In conclusion, the time to capitalise on Scotland's technological capabilities is now. The individuals and organisations behind the National Robotium are holding up their end of the bargain. It is time for the SNP Government to hold up theirs. The SNP Government must devise new ways of making STEM learning an attractive and accessible option. For healthy workforce, there must be a revolving door of new talent. In light of the SNP slashing the research excellence grant by 31 per cent in real terms since 2014, we need to see increased investment that matches the high-quality research being undertaken at institutions across Scotland. Such investment is vital to disrupting the stagnation and the decline that plagues our public and private sectors. I thank the Government of the National for bringing the debate to the chamber, which has been a useful exploration of a wide range of issues that are provoked by the advent of the national robotarium. A few people have struggled over that one so far, but I'll try again. Robotarium, there we go. Thank you to Harriet Watten and to the University of Edinburgh for the discussions in recent days, particularly thanks to Louise Jack for the insights that she has provided to me around the work of the centre. I think that we can commend the advent of the centre to the Parliament. A real sign of co-operation between the Scottish Government and the UK Government, £1.4 million from the Scottish Government, £21 million from the UK Government, and a good example of how our Governments should be working together on a regular basis to make sure that we advance the cause of science, technology, innovation and our economy. I would say to the minister that we need, in this Parliament, a health check on the city and region deals that have been signed in recent years. Some of them are well behind scale in terms of being delivered, and part of that is a result of very high levels of construction inflation across the economy, but I think that it would be welcome if the Government could give an update at some point in terms of how those deals are being delivered. Because it is done properly, it is about amplifying excellence in our research, and I would commend Harriet Watten for the results of last year in physics, maths, engineering and more. Fundamental research has now been taken and applied in those areas. It can be more important. I think that Richard Leonard talked about this very eloquently in terms of realising the benefits of robotics and artificial intelligence, not just for our economy, but for our society. After all, that is what our economy is here to do to serve our society. That robotic revolution is on-going. It is happening now. It is the present as well as the future. I met recently with SB Automation and Robotics in Dundee, a company that was established as far back as 1984. They talked to me about the challenge of working with companies to explain the benefits of and overcome some of the prejudices—it is fair to say, Presiding Officer—regarding robotics and the benefits that that could have to the workforce rather than displacing them and pushing them out of their jobs. It can actually bring benefits in terms of their health, their wellbeing and productivity. We know that productivity, generally, as other members have talked about, is really important in our current economic malaise. We really need to address the low levels of business enterprise research and development in Scotland. It is a long-term problem, not just under this Government, but since before the advent of devolution. Paul Krugman said that productivity is not everything, but in the long run it is almost everything. Robotics and the application of artificial intelligence will be part of addressing that problem. Process innovation within that is a critical and vastly undervalued in comparison to the issues of discovery. We need to make sure that the application of robotics can help us to enhance that. It can enhance workers' experience in that regard. The call from the Robotarium for a strategic policy for the robotics sector and how it is applied across sectors is a sound one, a really reasonable one. I also back their calls to encourage dialogue and imagination and discussion across society. Richard Leonard's calls and packs that the minister would reflect on this—the opportunity for Parliament to discuss this more widely would be a very welcome one. There are challenges in the governance of data, the application of black box algorithms and things like justice to make sure that people have ownership, that there is transparency in the application of those technologies, so they serve the public rather than just profit. The Institute of Engineering and Technology put the case for the application of artificial intelligence to deal with the challenges and the opportunities of ageing. I think that tonight we have heard about the confluence of a series of huge strategic challenges for Scotland, about automation, artificial intelligence, ageing—all a huge range of areas. I would say that the Robotarium is a huge part of what we can see as a country in addressing those problems. Best wishes to the staff, to the PhD students, to the partners. I look forward to visiting the centre myself, and I commendation to you for that. Congratulations on that opening. I thank Mr Marra, and I now call on Minister Ivan McKee to respond to the debate around seven minutes. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer, and thank you very much to Gordon MacDonald for bringing this member's debate here tonight on this hugely important topic and to the members who have contributed to the debate. I signalled on our national strategy for economic transformation and also in our forthcoming innovation strategy. We were very clear about wanting Scotland to be a nation of entrepreneurs and innovators with resilient supply chains and competitive strength in new industries, driven by technological change and scientific advances. Robotics and autonomous systems have huge potential to transform our economy and enhance everyday life. It is very much identified in that forthcoming innovation strategy as one of the horizontals that supports so many verticals across our emerging economic sectors. Over the coming years, we will see those technologies become ubiquitous, play an ever-increasing role at work at home, leisure settings, healthcare and so on right across society. I believe that Scotland is definitely well positioned to be at the forefront of this revolution, both in terms of the advanced research and technology development but also in promoting adoption and optimising the interaction between robots and people, understanding that interface and also understanding the societal and ethical issues that come with that as identified and highlighted by Richard Leonard, Michael Marra and others. Much of which is already articulated in our digital strategy, but rest assured that the wider impacts of those technologies is something that the Scottish Government takes very seriously. We also believe that Scotland can be at the forefront of showing the way on how best to use those technologies for societal benefit. I thank the minister for taking the intervention. The public sector is not widely regarded as risk takers or early innovators, but there are fantastic opportunities within our health sector to use artificial intelligence to push forward the boundaries and improve health. What can the Scottish Government do to take away some of the risk that the public sector might be trying to avoid that there is the saying that no one ever got sacked for buying IBM? What can the Scottish Government do to make sure that the public sector does start to adopt earlier and be innovators? I am delighted to take the intervention. I am conscious of the time beside the officer, but I will make some progress. Thank you very much for that point. It is hugely important. I am very keen that the public sector, the Government and more widely, resets the button in terms of that risk appetite. It is something that I take forward through a whole plethora of work that I am doing on the digital activity more broadly in the health sector, is that the member identifies adoption of AI and, in the corporate transformation programme, we are taking forward within core Scottish Government. That is a two-way street, and when you take more risks, sometimes you do not always succeed, then it is incumbent on Opposition members not to be so quick at jumping forward when things do not go exactly as we would plan in that environment. Making progress, the launch of the national robotarium at Heriot-Watt-Sharkarton campus last September highlights the partnership between Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt universities and the two universities for world-leading, genuine world-leading capabilities in robotics and AI. I want to acknowledge the roles played by professors David Lake of Heriot-Watt and Sethu Vijayrakakumar of Edinburgh University in making that happen and creating the platform for the new national robotarium. I remember meeting with David Lake a number of years ago when he highlighted the concept and it is great to see it come to fruition. It highlights the collaboration that many have identified between the two Governments as part of the £1.3 billion Edinburgh and South East Scotland city region deal. I had the pleasure of visiting the robotarium twice last year in September and December and I congratulate Stuart Miller, the CEO who is in the gallery with us today and the many researchers and staff for their achievements to date and many more to come. Robotics and autonomous systems technology has a critical role to play in addressing many of society's long-term challenges around raising productivity, something that Stephen Kerr has raised. I am delighted to know that we have largely closed the productivity gap with the rest of the UK and continue to make great progress through our national strategy of economic transformation and other activity that we are taking forward. We know that robotics offers huge opportunities to enable us to build a manufacturing base in Scotland for robotics alongside the development and application of those technologies. Partnership is hugely important in that regard and I am delighted that that is hardwired into the ethos and design of the robotarium. Already supporting a range of businesses and I know that the campus will become the hub for a thriving community of Scottish robotics manufacturers of various scales and I was delighted to visit a space technology business just adjacent to the campus this morning. Of course, the robotarium is only part of a larger network of support for manufacturing activity that the Scottish Government has put in place across the country. The National Manufacturing Institute for Scotland has been mentioned, Stratford University, which has been highlighted by Cockab Stewart, and Smart Hub in Lanarkshire, which has been styled through the Scottish Government's Advanced Manufacturing Challenge Fund to support local manufacturing and SMEs to modernise and boost their productivity. Again, it is to highlight the importance of manufacturing that Gordon MacDonald drew attention to in the Government's commitment as a previous manufacturing person. He is very keen to make sure that that is a huge part of what we take forward. Those advances in industrial automation are mirrored in our public services, notably in health and care sectors. I welcome the robotarium's mission to address a range of those challenges in that sector. Working with the International Robotics Company, FWRIAR Intelligence, for example, to support research into how robotics can be used for assisted living. Last year, the Scottish Government invested £20 million in 10 surgical robots to help to treat cancer patients, and that has already had an impact on saving lives across our health services. Robotics is a huge role to play in helping to support our ambitious climate targets. The National Robotarium leads the Orca Hub, the largest academic centre in the world for robotics research and offshore energy infrastructure, and through our net zero technology transition programme, where we are investing £16.5 million for the net zero technology centre to find a range of projects that are focused on energy transition. Drone technology is similarly making great progress in the use of robotics. The space sector has already mentioned it. It was great to hear Stephen Kerr mention the space sector and a speech that I managed to combine both types of chips, semiconductors and tatties, so well done in managing that. It is interesting to reflect that one of his predecessors in the Conservative benches in the last session took to social media to ridicule Scotland's ambitions in the space sector as being something far-fetched and unattainable, and we have come some way in the last few short years for Scotland as leading in many, many aspects of the global space sector. Conservative members now recognise that as a consequence. Michael Marra has made some very valid points around Scotland's position with regard to business and enterprise research and development spending. We are delighted to know that we are making great progress and expect to far exceed our target to double bird spending over this period and continue to do work to ensure that that investment continues to grow strongly in Scotland. We have just about almost closed the gap with the rest of the UK and, hopefully, to overtake it in that regard, and then not to distant future its points on city region deals. I hear and am happy to engage on that more deeply. Richard Leonard and I are delighted to bring as many debates back to the chamber to talk about Scotland's strong position in emerging technology sectors. He can work with his colleagues on the bureau. I am sure that we can try and get as much of that here as possible, including, as I mentioned, our forthcoming innovation strategy, which we will do in the next week. In conclusion, I am delighted that this debate has taken place, an opportunity to talk about the progress that we are making working in partnership with others. My commitment is to continue to work with the robotarium, to shorten the team of the wider sector to develop strategies to ensure that Scotland's place at the forefront of development, manufacturing and deployment of those technologies continues. I look forward to coming back to update the chamber in that regard in the future. Thank you very much.