Speaking at the Farnborough International Airshow on Monday, business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has announced that the government will invest £273 million into low-carbon aerospace innovation, economic growth and jobs.
Some of the technologies that the government investment is going into includes solar-powered aircraft, drones carrying medical supplies and new ultra-efficient wing technology.
The Aerospace Technology Institute Programme has so far generated 81,000 jobs and added £97 billion of value to the UK economy. On Monday, £155 million worth of government and industry joint-funding was pledged to new projects to drive forward green aerospace innovation.
Such green innovations include hydrogen and battery technology, new and efficient manufacturing processes and technologies and more.
A further £105.5 million of this funding from industry and government is being allocated to projects dedicated to developing air transport systems and new vehicle technologies, via the Future Flight Challenge. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy [BEIS] estimates that these projects could create a further 8,800 plus jobs, and could use drones to survey hazards along UK infrastructure such as motorways, making roads safer and improving journey times. These drones could also be deployed to distribute medical treatments across hard-to-reach parts of the UK.
Kwarteng said that an investment of up to £12 million would be made available through the Regulators’ Pioneer Fund to support industries of the future through regulation, including the medicine-carrying drones right through to flying cars. Bids for up to £1 million per project will open on Thursday (July 21).
Monday also saw the publication of a new Drone Ambition Statement, outlining how government and industry can work together to seize on drones’ potential £45 billion of benefit to the economy by 2030.
Speaking in Farnborough, Kwarteng said: “The return of the Farnborough International Airshow after a four-year absence is a clear example of the aerospace and aviation sector’s recovery. Today’s package of support will further this recovery and help the sector seize on the enormous opportunities for growth that exist as the world transitions to cleaner forms of flight.
“Through funding for the latest in green technology, such as solar and hydrogen powered aircraft, and setting out our vision for the fast-growing market for commercial drones, we are once again placing the aerospace sector directly at the centre of our plans to deliver jobs and grow the economy.”
A new £12 million funding pot will be made available through the Regulators’ Pioneer Fund to support bold initiatives by regulators and local authorities that enable the UK’s regulatory environment to keep pace with cutting-edge innovation. Bids for up to £1 million per project will open on 21 July.
Transport minister, Robert Courts, added: “The steps we have set out today will ensure our aviation sector remains world-leading and fit for the future, helping to deliver on our ambitious climate change goals and boost high-skilled job opportunities.
“Integrating drones into our transport system will play a huge part in better connecting communities, from potentially delivering vital NHS treatments in isolated communities to capturing high quality aerial imaging for rescue teams.
The Drone Ambition Statement has been produced in collaboration with the Drone Industry Action Group, outlining how the UK will embed a business environment that supports the development of drone technologies and can deliver 650,000 jobs in the sector by 2030. This is to be achieved through government investments such as those announced on Monday.
The ATI Programme and Future Flight Challenge also take pride of place within the government’s wider Jet Zero policy, which includes the Jet Zero Council, which brings together government, industry and academia, and is jointly chaired by the business secretary and transport secretary.
The government has said that it will work with industry through the Aerospace Growth Partnership, which today is launching its “Destination Net Zero” strategy, to deliver the sector’s transition to greener aviation solutions.
Photo by Jared Brashier on Unsplash
