Starship Technologies' Lisa Johnson takes on Robotics Advisory Group adviser role
Lisa Johnson, Vice President, Global Public Affairs & Corporate Communications at autonomous deliveries specialist Starship Technologies, has been appointed as an adviser to the UK government and Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on robotics.
In a LinkedIn post, she said: “As part of the Robotics Advisory Group (RAG), I'm looking forward to working with some very impressive humans to help the country harness the economic and societal benefits of robotics.”
She added: “One of the aspects I'm excited about is getting to know different parts of the sector and what innovation is happening outside of the space I'm in (autonomous delivery robots). I'd love to hear about your experiences, progress and products, and where government could do more to support robotics in the UK or break down barriers.
Membership of the Robotics Advisory Group as follows:
Izzy Webb (co-chair), DSIT
Jenny Read (co-chair), ARIA
Rob Deaves (vice-chair), Oxa
Silas Adekunle, Reach Robotics
Elie Allouis, Airbus
Seemal Asif, Cranfield University
Rory Daniels, TechUK
Chris Gray, CMR Surgical
Nick Hawes, University of Oxford
Kirsty Hewitson, UKAEA
Lisa Johnson, Starship Technologies
Stewart Miller, National Robotarium
Samia Nefti-Meziani, Birmingham University
Simon Pearson, University of Lincoln
Dave Swan, Tharsus
Neil Tinmouth, ACUA Ocean
Peter Williamson, Automate UK
Mike Wilson, Manufacturing Technology Centre
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
Robotics will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
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