ATI Launches New UK Aerospace Technology Strategy

CRANFIELD, England, Nov. 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- A new strategy for the future of UK aerospace technology has been launched today by the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI).

Accelerating Ambition sets out the challenges, opportunities and priorities for UK aerospace research, with a focus on reducing the environmental impact of aviation and raising the competitiveness of the UK sector. The new strategy will provide the direction for the ATI Programme – the £3.9 billion joint Government-industry programme to invest in civil aerospace research & technology projects – and guide how the work of the Institute evolves.

The Accelerating Ambition strategy covers the priority technologies for the overall air transport system and the next generations of vehicles, propulsion and power, systems and aerostructures. It also looks at the cross-cutting enablers that will drive the development of new technology across aerospace and adjacent sectors.

Priority areas identified in the strategy include:

• For the UK to be a key player in the delivery of future sustainable commercial aircraft
• To lead all-electric battery and fuel cell propulsion systems
• To advance autonomous systems for efficiency and safety
• To grow capability in complex multi-functional structures
• To develop high-value design capabilities

Roadmaps for all priority technologies highlight the innovation and development needed to meet key environmental, cost and safety targets by 2035 and beyond.

"We have achieved a great deal since the ATI was established five years ago, but we need to do more and we need to do it quicker if the UK is to stay competitive and benefit from the new and evolving markets. We need to accelerate our ambition," said Gary Elliott, CEO of the Aerospace Technology Institute.

"There are opportunities here for the UK. Accelerating Ambition sets out our vision of future technologies: those that will deliver benefit to the whole air transport system, and those that will drive the efficiency of aircraft and which lie at the heart of achieving a sustainable future.

"This is my challenge to the UK aerospace sector. The ATI wants to fund even more ambitious technology programmes and attract new companies and collaborations to the UK. We want the sector to come forward with new ideas that align with the vision articulated in Accelerating Ambition. We are here to support and develop those aspirations, and I hope the sector accepts the challenge."

Accelerating Ambition was announced at the ATI Conference 2019, being held on 19th-20th November at the Vox Centre in Birmingham: a gathering of 400 delegates from Government, industry and academia to hear from the CEOs, CTOs and senior executives of the UK and global aerospace sector.

Accelerating Ambition can be downloaded from the ATI web site: www.ati.org.uk

About the Aerospace Technology Institute

The Aerospace Technology Institute promotes transformative technology in air transport and funds world-class research and development through a multi-billion pound joint government-industry programme. Our R&T portfolio consists of over 250 projects so far, securing jobs, maintaining skills and delivering economic benefits across the UK. Our technology strategy builds on the UK's strengths and responds to the challenges faced by the UK civil aerospace sector; it provides a roadmap of the innovation necessary to keep the UK competitive in the global aerospace market, and complements the broader strategy for the sector created by the Aerospace Growth Partnership (AGP).

About the ATI Programme

The ATI Programme is a joint Government and industry investment to maintain and grow the UK's competitive position in civil aerospace design and manufacture. The programme, delivered through a partnership between the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and Innovate UK, addresses technology, capability and supply chain challenges.