Tees Business Tees Business Issue 14 | Page 36

36 | Tees Business ROBOT REVOLUTION HOW TEES TECH FIRM IS MAKING THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE Tees Business learns more about the robotics firm hailed as the North-East’s leading innovators just 12 months after launching A s an expert in mechatronics, it’s fair to say that Jamie Marsay knows a thing or two about robotic technology. But even he didn’t imagine the innovation of a robotic autonomous system would take off at quite the pace it has. The Hyve is basically a robotic scientist – an artificial intelligence system designed to discover advancements in formulation chemistry and biotechnology. The robotic autonomous system allows companies to build their own research scientist or production line operative. The modular system uses collaborative robotics and machine intelligence to allow it to interact with humans to undertake tasks that are not normally possible or for humans to undertake. And Marsay has used all of his vast experience and expertise to lead the robotic innovation since the formation of Applied Scientific Technologies (AST) midway through 2017. “Sometimes I have to pinch myself because it’s so much better than I originally thought it would be when we first set out on this venture,” he admits. Stokesley-based AST is forecasting a 10- fold increase in turnover to £4m within two years. The firm is currently preparing field trials Robot masters - Applied Scientific Technologies directors Lee Raywood, Garry Lofthouse and Jamie Marsay. that will see its “revolutionary” custom- built robotic automated system go into full production within months. Marsay and fellow directors Garry Lofthouse and Lee Raywood are targeting sales of 50 a year of the patent-pending innovation by 2020. Just a year after launching, AST has already won orders from corporate global giants – with many more “banging at the door” – for The Hyve. Such is the ground-breaking advancements of the autonomous robotic system compared to anything else available on the global market that two of the same world-leading firms have helped to fund research and design on the cutting edge technology. AST’s first sale was to the European HQ of a multinational personal care company who plan to roll out the The Hyve product across their global operations. But global innovators within the health care, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, life sciences, personal and household care markets are queueing up to be next. Now Applied Scientific Technologies is set to give The Hyve its European launch in September before introducing the industry- transforming technology to the rest of the world in 2019. Understandably excited by the rapid progress of the firm’s first product, Marsay says: “We’ve been told by people in the know that it’s unbelievable and that it’s a step change but the best compliment I ever get is that it’s too good to be true. “We’re making the unbelievable believable.” Along with staff at established sister company Applied Integration, AST’s directors are working shoulder-to-shoulder with forward-thinking global giants including digital pioneers Siemens UK as their strategic partners. Marsay adds: “These early adopters of our technology can see where collaborative robotics and deep learning is going within the scientific market. “They have paid for The Hyve’s beta model so they can work on the field trials for this innovative product, knowing it will be the first of its kind.