Future robots must possess the capability to adapt to changes, including interactions with humans. As adaptations cannot compromise reliability, robots must change behaviour while maintaining or improving performance and safety. The EU-funded RoboSAPIENS project will develop safe, trustworthy and efficient autonomous robotic software adaptations and establish a solid foundation to ensure these software adaptations are deployed safely, reliably and efficiently. This will allow for open-ended self-adaptation while incorporating safety by design. Based on these foundations, the project aims to create ‘first-time-right’ design tools and robotic platforms. The project will showcase the trustworthy robotic self-adaptation on an industrial disassembly robot, a warehouse robotic swarm, a prolonged hull of an autonomous vessel and human–robotic interaction.