The euROBIN Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) provides a roadmap for advancing embodied AI and robotics in ways that align with Europe's broader goals of sustainability, equity, and economic growth. By addressing immediate challenges and laying the groundwork for future innovation, the agenda ensures that robotics and AI can be pivotal in tackling pressing societal, economic, and environmental issues. This unified approach positions the EU as a leader in shaping technology for the public good while fostering ethical and sustainable development.

The societal impact of euROBIN's Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) is broad and focuses on a number of important aspects:  

• Improving quality of life by developing robots capable of assisting elderly and disabled people. This is in line with societal needs for improved elderly care, rehabilitation and disaster response.
  Such robots can also work closely with humans, allowing them to share many tasks in homes, workplaces and even public areas. 
• Ethical and inclusive development of AI, fostering trust in robotics, addressing cultural and psychological attitudes towards automation. This is done by paying particular attention to safety, transparency and regulatory frameworks, thus ensuring societal benefits while minimising risks of misuse.
• It enables skills transfer and lifelong learning, as robots with lifelong learning capabilities can be adapted to many different fields including education, healthcare and social services. 

If we focus on analysing the economic impact that euROBIN's RAS can have, the main aspects that can be highlighted are: 

• An improvement in productivity as it boosts the growth of traditionally low-automated industries such as textiles, agriculture and logistics.  Also in the case of SMEs, through the so-called collaborative robots (co-bots). 
• Supporting the circular economy by incorporating robots in the recovery, sorting and recycling of materials, thereby reducing waste and conserving resources.
• On the other hand, the SRA also promotes collaboration between academia, industry and policy makers, fostering innovation ecosystems, as e.g. digital twins and simulation technologies further accelerate technology transfer and commercialisation.

Finally, the environmental impact of the SRA focuses primarily on these improvements: 

• Climate change mitigation, as there are some robots specially designed for environmental monitoring and precision agriculture, which allows for more sustainable practices. 
• Robotics applications in search and rescue, environmental recovery and infrastructure inspection after natural or man-made disasters also contribute directly to increasing climate resilience.
• Some robotic systems, such as artificial muscles, tactile skins and neuromorphic computing, also contribute to energy efficiency and sustainability, contributing to sustainable design principles.

The euROBIN Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) offers a visionary roadmap for advancing robotics and embodied AI in alignment with Europe's goals of sustainability, equity, and economic growth. Socially, it enhances quality of life by addressing needs such as elderly care, disaster response, and human-robot collaboration, all while fostering ethical and inclusive AI development. Economically, the SRA drives productivity in traditionally low-automation sectors, supports SMEs with collaborative robots, and accelerates innovation through collaboration and digital technologies like simulation and digital twins. Environmentally, the agenda promotes sustainable practices through robotics in precision agriculture, waste management, and climate change mitigation, while fostering energy-efficient designs like artificial muscles and neuromorphic computing. By bridging societal, economic, and environmental priorities, the SRA positions Europe as a global leader in ethical, impactful, and sustainable technological innovation.

See here the euROBIN Strategic Research Agenda (SRA)

Transferability in robotics, and euROBIN, refers to the ability of robotic systems to adapt skills, knowledge, and capabilities across tasks, environments, and platforms. This is critical for creating versatile, robust, and scalable solutions in robotics and AI that align with the diverse and evolving needs of society, industries, and environmental goals.

Is a cornerstone for the broader impact of robotics and AI in the EU, driving societal inclusion, economic scalability, and environmental sustainability. By enabling robots to learn, adapt, and transfer knowledge across domains, euROBIN fosters a future where robotic systems are not just tools but dynamic partners in addressing the EU’s critical challenges. This emphasis on adaptability and versatility ensures that robotics and AI are aligned with Europe’s commitment to ethical, sustainable, and impactful technological development.

What is the social, economic and environmental impact of transferability in the euROBIN project? 

In terms of social impact, the most salient aspects are:  

• Transferable robots equipped with lifelong learning capabilities can evolve and adapt to the changing needs of society. In addition, they can effectively transfer the acquired knowledge to other environments, enabling faster deployment in homes, hospitals or disaster areas, improving society's access to advanced robotic solutions.
• Transferability enables robots to better understand and replicate human actions in different contexts, fostering seamless collaboration. 
• They are an accessible and inclusive technology, as by leveraging transferable learning, robots can operate effectively in culturally diverse or unique environments, adapting their behaviour to local norms and preferences. This inclusivity fosters greater social acceptance.

The economic impact of this transferability is highlighted in:  

• It allows robotic systems to operate in multiple sectors, reducing the need for costly sector-specific development. For example, robots initially designed for warehouse management can be reprogrammed for agriculture or construction with minimal overheads. It also makes automation accessible to SMEs, fostering innovation and economic resilience in various sectors.
• It reduces the costs associated with training and reconfiguring robots for new tasks or environments, enabling faster scale-up of automation solutions across European industries. In addition, interoperability between robotic systems ensures that investments in one area (e.g. logistics robots) can benefit others (e.g. manufacturing), boosting productivity and economic output.
• On the other hand, transferable skills create opportunities for collaboration and standardisation across the EU, promoting a unified market for robotics technologies and reinforcing Europe's leadership in global innovation in AI and robotics.

Finally, if we analyse the environmental impact of this transferability, we can underline these aspects:  

• Transferable robots can be deployed in precision agriculture to optimise the use of resources, such as water and fertilisers, in different terrains and climates. Similarly, robots in recycling facilities can adapt to different waste streams, improving material recovery rates.
• Adaptability reduces the need for task-specific robot designs, minimising the environmental costs associated with manufacturing and e-waste.
• Robots that transfer knowledge between applications can address a variety of environmental challenges, such as the transition from disaster monitoring to ecosystem restoration tasks.
• Autonomous systems equipped with transferable navigation and sensing skills can effectively assess climate impacts, helping policy makers develop effective responses.
• In addition, autonomous transferable capabilities allow robots to optimise their operations in different environments, conserving energy and reducing the carbon footprint of automation technologies.

In sum, euROBIN transferability is a transformative capability that empowers robots to adapt skills, knowledge, and functions across diverse tasks, environments, and platforms. Socially, it enhances accessibility, inclusivity, and collaboration by enabling robots to seamlessly adapt to cultural and contextual variations, ensuring their relevance and acceptance across diverse settings like homes, hospitals, and disaster zones. Economically, transferability minimizes development costs, accelerates deployment across sectors, and fosters interoperability, enabling a unified and scalable market for robotics technologies in Europe while supporting SMEs and enhancing industrial productivity. Environmentally, it promotes sustainability by reducing the need for task-specific robot designs, optimizing resource use in applications such as precision agriculture and recycling, and addressing challenges like disaster monitoring and climate impact assessment. Through transferability, euROBIN aligns robotics and AI with Europe’s commitment to ethical, sustainable, and inclusive innovation, driving meaningful advancements across societal, economic, and environmental dimensions.

The euROBIN EuroCore platform is designed to enhance collaboration and innovation in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) across Europe by providing a centralized repository for sharing software modules, data, and expertise. EuroCore fosters the development of transferable and reusable robotic solutions. This collaborative environment not only accelerates technological advancements but also ensures that these innovations are aligned with societal needs, economic growth, and environmental sustainability.

What is the social impact of the euROBIN EuroCore platform? 

• EuroCore enables teams to share their software, data and expertise, fostering a culture of cooperation that leads to more efficient and user-centric robotic solutions.
• Furthermore, by facilitating the sharing of knowledge and resources, EuroCore contributes to the upskilling of researchers and practitioners, ensuring a well-equipped workforce capable of addressing complex societal challenges.

What about the economic impact? 

• The platform's shared repository enables the rapid development and deployment of robotic technologies, reducing time to market and improving the competitiveness of European industries.
• EuroCore provides small and medium-sized enterprises with access to cutting-edge resources and collaboration opportunities, enabling them to participate in high-level research and development activities. 

On enviroment:

• Finally, if we look at its environmental impact we can find that on the one hand, by promoting the reusability and transferability of software modules, EuroCore fosters the creation of efficient and adaptable robotic systems that can be applied to environmental monitoring, resource management and other sustainability initiatives.
• On the other hand, it helps optimise resources, as the collaborative nature of EuroCore reduces duplication of effort and optimises the use of resources, leading to more sustainable research and development practices.

With this in mind, The euROBIN EuroCore platform represents a pivotal step in fostering future collaboration and innovation in robotics and AI across Europe. By serving as a centralized hub for sharing software modules, data, and expertise, it accelerates the development of reusable and transferable solutions tailored to societal, economic, and environmental needs. Socially, it cultivates a cooperative culture, enhancing user-centric robotics while upskilling professionals to address complex challenges. Economically, EuroCore shortens development timelines, boosts competitiveness, and empowers SMEs with access to advanced resources and collaboration. Environmentally, its emphasis on reusability and collaboration optimizes resource usage, enabling sustainable practices and advancing initiatives like environmental monitoring and resource management. EuroCore stands as a cornerstone for Europe’s sustainable and inclusive technological progress.