National policies and patterns of robot diffusion: United Kingdom, Japan, Sweden and the United States

Widely varying patterns of diffusion of robots have been experienced to date among the leading industrialised countries of the world. These patterns have been associated with varying national contexts and, in particular, with quite different national policies towards robots. The paper presents results from a study of the relation of national policies and strategies to robot diffusion, focusing primarily on the Japanese and British cases, but also taking account of Swedish and North American experience.

Various factors have been of clear importance in robot diffusion: the means of promotion of robots; the opportunities afforded by industrial structure; the climate created by national labour situations; the role played by robotics supply and service infrastructures; and of course, the effects of government policies, both in the broad sense of those policies which shape the general environment for diffusion, and in the narrow sense of those aimed specifically at robotics.

These issues are discussed with reference to the countries considered. The authors conclude that the correct identification of the nature of development of robotics technology itself, which may be characterised as a case of “evolutionary innovation”, is of crucial importance in understanding the differing patterns of diffusion and the varying effectiveness of the policies pursued.