Boston Dynamics Expands Createc Partnership as Authorised UK Nuclear Robotics Reseller

A four-legged robot picking its way through the corridors of a nuclear decommissioning facility, sensing radiation levels, mapping spaces no human should enter. That’s not science fiction — it’s been happening at Sellafield and Dounreay for several years. And now the commercial arrangement behind it is getting a formal upgrade.

Boston Dynamics has announced it is expanding its partnership with Createc, a robotics and computer vision company based in Cumbria, making it an official Boston Dynamics Authorised Reseller and Technology Provider. The move gives Createc global authorisation to support nuclear sector customers and also designates it as Boston Dynamics’ representative across the broader UK industrial market, with responsibility for leading Enterprise Asset Management activities across the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

The two companies have been working together for more than six years, with the relationship beginning around 2020. But this latest step is a commercial expansion rather than a new product launch — it formalises and broadens Createc’s role as the go-to partner for organisations looking to deploy Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot in demanding industrial environments.

What Createc Actually Does

Createc isn’t a household name, but in the nuclear sector it carries real weight. The company, which has bases in Cumbria and Oxford and reportedly employs over 60 people, works across civil nuclear, defence, rail, marine and security sectors. It has developed specialist technologies including N-Visage, a nuclear detection and mapping system, and the Automated Nuclear Detection Cell, known as AND-C.

Perhaps most telling of its reach: Createc has deployed systems not just at Sellafield and Dounreay in the UK, but also at Fukushima Daiichi in Japan — one of the most complex and hazardous nuclear sites in the world. That’s the kind of track record that earns a global authorisation.

Spot’s Role in Hazardous Environments

Spot is Boston Dynamics’ quadruped inspection robot — the dog-like machine that became something of a cultural reference point when videos of it went viral years ago. But the novelty has long since given way to practical application. In nuclear and power settings, Spot carries sensors into areas where radiation levels, confined spaces, or structural conditions make human access dangerous or impossible.

The robot can conduct autonomous inspections, collect data, and return — reducing the time workers spend in high-risk zones. A 2021 UK government article described Createc as Boston Dynamics’ preferred partner for nuclear applications at Sellafield, confirming the collaboration had already moved well beyond the trial stage by that point.

And that’s really the point here. This isn’t a company announcing a pilot programme. It’s two organisations that have already done the hard work in some of the toughest environments imaginable, deciding to deepen their commercial relationship.

What the Expanded Partnership Covers

Under the new arrangement, Createc brings together Boston Dynamics’ robot hardware with its own integration expertise, software, and sensing technologies. The aim, as both companies frame it, is to deliver end-to-end industrial solutions — from the robot itself through to the data, software and sector knowledge needed to make it useful on a specific site.

The scope is broad. Nuclear decommissioning is the most prominent application, but the authorisation covers the wider UK industrial market too, which takes in infrastructure inspection, asset management, and sectors such as defence and manufacturing.

Matt Clough, Head of Business Development at Createc, said: “This expanded partnership with Boston Dynamics reflects the trust we’ve built together over many years and opens up exciting opportunities to bring world-class robotic solutions to even more customers across the nuclear sector and beyond.”

The nuclear sector in particular presents a strong case for robotic inspection. Sites like Sellafield are among the most complex industrial facilities in Europe, with decommissioning work expected to continue for decades. Reducing human exposure to radiation, while maintaining rigorous inspection schedules, is both a safety imperative and a regulatory requirement.

A Growing UK Robotics Footprint

The UK has been quietly building a serious robotics capability in industrial and nuclear settings. Createc’s work sits within a broader national effort to use advanced technology to manage the legacy of the country’s nuclear industry — an industry whose decommissioning costs run into the tens of billions of pounds.

Authorising a UK company to represent Boston Dynamics globally in the nuclear space reflects confidence in that domestic expertise. It also positions Createc to compete for international contracts, given that nuclear decommissioning is a global challenge, from Fukushima to ageing reactors across Europe.

What This Means for Kent Residents

There’s no direct Kent connection to this announcement — no local site, council contract, or Kent-based operator is named in the partnership. But for anyone in Kent working in nuclear energy, advanced manufacturing, infrastructure inspection, or industrial asset management, the expanded UK representation means Boston Dynamics and Createc’s combined offer is now more formally accessible through a single UK commercial route. More broadly, the growing use of robotic inspection in nuclear and industrial settings is part of a wider shift in how the UK manages ageing infrastructure — one that will shape energy costs, safety standards, and the kinds of engineering jobs available across the country in the years ahead.