From curiosity to capability: building a robotics strategy for the future of gin - Ginposium 2026

Learning Objectives:

1. Develop confidence that responsible, right-sized robotics adoption is achievable across both small and large-scale distilleries.
2. Distinguish between media hype and operational reality, gaining a balanced understanding of what robotics can and cannot deliver today.
3. Recognise the critical role of leadership and HR in shaping culture, skills and long-term strategy before investing in automation.
4. Understand why successful adoption begins with clearly defined operational pain points and workforce engagement, not technology selection.

About Naomi

Naomi is Business Development Manager at the National Robotarium, the UK’s leading centre for robotics and AI based at Heriot-Watt University in partnership with the University of Edinburgh.

She works closely with the food and drink sector, supporting businesses to understand, assess and strategically adopt robotics and AI in a way that aligns with their operations, workforce and long-term goals.

Her work spans robotic readiness reviews, feasibility studies and proof-of-concept projects, helping organisations move from curiosity to confident deployment.

Naomi is particularly passionate about ensuring robotics adoption is driven by real operational need rather than technology hype, and about building collaborative communities that share insight, reduce risk and accelerate innovation across industry.