A new facility at Cranfield University is set to make the UK a global leader in digital aviation research. The Digital Aviation Research and Technology Centre (DARTeC) was officially opened today by Kwasi Kwarteng, Business Secretary.
Researchers at DARTeC are already working with industry partners to advance the application of digital technologies in the air transport sector. Projects are underway to drive forward innovations in digital airspace and airport infrastructure that will help the UK reach its target of net zero carbon emissions and support industry to bounce back stronger from COVID-19.
DARTeC aims to address some of the main research challenges facing the aviation industry, including:
o the integration of drones into civilian airspace;
o increasing the efficiency of airports through technological advances;
o creating safe, secure shared airspace through secure data communication infrastructures;
o increasing the reliability and availability of aircraft utilising self-sensing/aware and self-healing/repair technologies.
The £67 million world-leading facility is located next to Cranfield's airport and consists of a central building with digital aviation research laboratories and collaborative open plan office space where staff, students and partners work together, and a partially covered 'hangar laboratory' connected to Cranfield's 737-400 aircraft through an airport-style air bridge.
Professor Graham Braithwaite, Project Lead and Director of Transport Systems at Cranfield, said: "I'd like to thank everyone involved in realising our vision to create this state-of-the-art facility, including colleagues at Cranfield, our industry partners and Research England. DARTeC is already playing a pivotal role in helping to define and develop the aircraft, airports, airlines and airspace management systems of the future, illustrating what is possible through the power of partnership and collaboration."
Kwasi Kwarteng, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, said: "This exciting new facility hails the dawn of a new era in our plan to deploy new technologies to cut emissions from aviation, paving the way for the sector to move towards a more efficient, greener and safer future.
"Backed by government funding, Cranfield University is helping to strengthen the UK's competitive advantage in the rapidly emerging market in sustainable aviation, helping us achieve our net zero ambitions and strengthening our economy for future generations."
Professor Sir Peter Gregson, Chief Executive and Vice-Chancellor of Cranfield University, said: "The opening of DARTeC marks another stage in Cranfield's proud history and heritage in aircraft and aviation research over the last 70 years. The Centre will provide a unique national asset for the ground-breaking research which will be key to overcoming the challenges of future flight and delivering sustainable growth for the aviation sector."
Game-changing technologies such as the first operational digital air traffic control tower in the UK and next-generation radar technologies on the University's licensed airport create a unique research and development environment. The co-located National Beyond visual line of sight Experimentation Corridor (NBEC) provides a safe, managed environment for drone and unmanned aircraft experimentation.
DARTeC consortium partners include Aveillant, Blue Bear Systems Research, Boeing, BOXARR, Connected Places Catapult, Cranfield University, Etihad Airways, Heathrow, Inmarsat, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the IVHM Centre, Saab, Satellite Applications Catapult, Spirent Communications and Thales, with co-investment support from Research England.
Ongoing research includes nine projects announced as winners of UK Research and Innovation's Future Flight Challenge, with a total award value of over £8.5 million.
Images:
l-r, Professor Graham Braithwaite, Kwasi Kwarteng, Sir Peter Gregson
Kwasi Kwarteng with Sir Peter Gregson
Partners and staff with Kwasi Kwarteng
Partner quotes:
About Thales
Alex Cresswell, CEO and Chairman of Thales in UK, said: "Today's launch marks an important milestone in the UK's ambition to set the world-standard for digital aviation. As a consortium of industry leaders, for the first time, we're now able to work collaboratively under one roof to design and deliver safer, greener, more seamless journeys. Thales is proud to be a founding member and key contributor at DARTeC, extending our regional investment in innovation centres.
"We're pleased to bring a diverse offering to the Centre - from connectivity and digital twin capabilities through to expertise in unmanned traffic management, holographic radars, and touchless journeys - all backed up by over 50 years of designing and creating industry-leading aviation solutions in the UK. We very much look forward to working with our partners to improve how we use and protect our skies."
Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global technology leader in the Aerospace, Transportation and Defence & Security markets. In 2020, the company generated revenues of EUR17 billion with 81,000 employees in 68 countries. With its 30,000 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design, develop and deploy equipment, systems and services that meet the most complex security requirements.
Thales' technology and initiatives will play a pivotal role making aerospace more innovative, sustainable and secure as unmanned and autonomous technology transform our lives and the way we do business. Recent achievements in the sector include playing a leading role in the Airspace of the Future Consortium, formed in response to the UK Research and Innovation's Future Flight Challenge; launching SOARIZON®, a digital management tool democratising unmanned flight; and launching the 'National Beyond visual line of sight Experimentation Centre' (NBEC), an experimental 'air corridor' in which drones and unmanned aircraft will be able to fly in the same airspace as manned aircraft.
Each year Thales invests over £575 million into its UK supply chain, working with over 2,000 companies. They are dedicated to research and technology, working with partners to invest over £130m+ in R&D in the UK annually. With a heritage of over 130 years, Thales in the UK understands the importance of developing skills for the future, which is why they have over 400 apprentices and graduates across the UK. Thales is committed to supporting its people, and continuously developing talent, and highly skilled experts.
About Aveillant
Aveillant Ltd is a radar technology company based in Cambridge, specialising in technology for the detection and tracking of small drones, and is a founder member of the DARTeC consortium. In 2017 Aveillant was 100% acquired by Thales.
www.aveillant.com
About Blue Bear Systems Research
Ian Williams-Wynn, Managing Director, Blue Bear Systems Research, said: "Blue Bear are very excited about the wealth of opportunity DARTeC will create within the British aerospace sector."
Blue Bear Systems Research are pioneers of autonomy and unmanned systems; evolving unmanned concepts, regardless of size, at a pace unmatched by other organisations. They deliver efficient solutions, professional services and commercial results, supporting both military and civil markets worldwide, with unmatched pace, agility, passion and innovation.
About Boeing
Sir Martin Donnelly, President of Boeing Europe and Managing Director of Boeing in the UK and Ireland, said: "Today's DARTeC opening is a big step forward in the digital transformation of our industry. Congratulations to everyone involved. We in Boeing are proud partners of Cranfield and now DARTeC, with a 737 parked on site and joint programmes to advance the sustainable future of aviation. We look forward to deepening that partnership with Cranfield and the UK in the years ahead."
Boeing is the world's largest aerospace company and leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners, defence, space and security systems, and service provider of aftermarket support. The UK is an important market, supplier base and source of some of the world's most innovative technology partners, and Boeing has had a presence here for more than 80 years, growing to more than 2,500 employees and spending £2 billion in the UK supply chain annually.
About Connected Places Catapult
Nicola Yates OBE, CEO of Connected Places Catapult, said: "World class R&D facilities like DARTeC are essential for the UK to lead on the digital aviation revolution. We look forward to working with Cranfield and other DARTeC partners to shape an exciting vision of a sustainable air transport system fit for a net-zero 21st century."
Connected Places Catapult is the UK's innovation accelerator for cities, transport, and places. It provides impartial 'innovation as a service' for public bodies, businesses, and infrastructure providers to catalyse step-change improvements in the way people live, work and travel. It connects businesses and public sector leaders to cutting-edge research to spark innovation and grow new markets. For more information visit: cp.catapult.org.uk
About Cranfield University
Cranfield is a specialist postgraduate university that is a global leader for education and transformational research in technology and management.
Cranfield has over 50 years' experience in transport, including the aviation, automotive, motorsport, military and marine sectors. We are one of the few universities in the world to have its own airport - our global research airport offers a unique environment for transformational research.
Our education and award-winning research covers all modes of vehicles and transport across technology, engineering and management, including sustainable transport and intelligent mobility.
In an increasingly interconnected world, we specialise in understanding the whole environment in which transport operates: the vehicles, infrastructure, businesses and logistics, as well as the human aspects of operating, managing and using transport.
Our world-class facilities include high-performance wind tunnels, an off-road vehicle dynamics facility, a crash impact test centre (one of just two FIA (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile) approved test centres in the world) and our accident investigation laboratory, which is dedicated to our work in aviation, marine and rail safety and the only accident investigation laboratory of its type outside the United States.
We were awarded the Queen's Anniversary Prize for our world-leading work in aviation safety through research and training in air accident investigation in 2011 and in 2019 for delivering in-flight aerospace engineering training for the worldwide aviation industry through our National Flying Laboratory Centre's flying classrooms and laboratories.
Our Multi-User Environment for Autonomous Vehicle Innovation is a £9 million 'smart' roadway test environment for the development of intelligent and autonomous vehicles, the first of its kind in the UK next to an airport and within the controlled setting of a university campus. It includes the associated systems needed to integrate emerging technologies into our day-to-day lives.
A new £67 million Digital Aviation Research and Technology Centre at Cranfield is spearheading the UK's research into digital aviation technology. In 2018, Cranfield Airport became the first in the UK to have an operational digital air traffic control centre, replicating what can be seen through the windows of a traditional air traffic control tower via a live feed using HD cameras and sensors. www.cranfield.ac.uk/transportsystems
About Heathrow
Heathrow is the UK's only hub airport and one of the world's top international aviation hubs. The airport is Britain's largest cargo port, helping to drive British trade growth and assisting the country in the fight against COVID-19, with 46% of the country's pharmaceutical products imported through Heathrow in 2020. Heathrow is the first UK airport to pass the CAA's COVID Security Assurance Scheme and has secured the Airport Health Accreditation from the Airports Council International, as a result of investments made to keep the hub airport COVID secure. The airport is currently ranked by passengers as the "Best Airport for Shopping" for 11 years in a row.
About Inmarsat
Anthony Spouncer, Senior Director, UAVs & UTM, Inmarsat, said: "The importance of digitalisation has never been greater for the global aviation industry. Today's opening of the advanced new Cranfield University DARTeC facility will play a key role in driving future research and innovations across industry critical issues, including sustainable aviation and integrating Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) into managed airspace. As a member of the DARTeC consortium, Inmarsat looks forward to collaborating with the wider DARTeC community and our world-class partner ecosystem on the many exciting initiatives to come."
Inmarsat is the world leader in global, mobile satellite communications. It owns and operates the world's most diverse global portfolio of mobile telecommunications satellite networks, and holds a multi-layered, global spectrum portfolio, covering L-band, Ka-band and S-band, enabling unparalleled breadth and diversity in the solutions it provides. Inmarsat's long-established global distribution network includes not only the world's leading channel partners but also its own strong direct retail capabilities, enabling end to end customer service assurance.
The company has an unrivalled track record of operating the world's most reliable global mobile satellite telecommunications networks, sustaining business and mission critical safety & operational applications for more than 40 years. It is also a major driving force behind technological innovation in mobile satellite communications, sustaining its leadership through a substantial investment and a powerful network of technology and manufacturing partners.
Inmarsat operates across a diversified portfolio of sectors with the financial resources to fund its business strategy and holds leading positions in the Maritime, Government, Aviation and Enterprise satcoms markets, operating consistently as a trusted, responsive and high-quality partner to its customers across the globe.
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About Saab
Magnus Lewis-Olsson, Chairman of Saab UK, said: "We at Saab UK regard DARTeC as a great opportunity to bring together the best of British and Swedish engineering in a partnership that develops aerospace innovations for the next generation. Saab's digital aviation technologies are about providing enhanced safety as well as improved efficiency, and we look to open up new possibilities for their application through our relationship with DARTeC."
Saab is a leading defence and security company with an enduring mission, to help nations keep their people and society safe. Empowered by its 18,000 talented people, Saab constantly pushes the boundaries of technology to create a safer, more sustainable and more equitable world. Saab designs, manufactures and maintains advanced systems in aeronautics, weapons, command and control, sensors and underwater systems.
About Spirent
Mark Holbrow, Snr. Director, R&D for Spirent's Positioning Technology business, said: "Spirent Communications is proud to become a member of DARTeC. We're excited by the prospect of deepening our research collaboration with Cranfield and having the opportunity to innovate alongside fellow Industry leaders. This collaboration and engagement in the primary research challenges DARTeC addresses will enable and accelerate Spirent's vision of next generation Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) test and assurance solutions in the autonomous aviation sector."
Spirent Communications plc. (LSE: SPT) is a leading global provider of automated test and assurance solutions for networks, cybersecurity, and positioning. The company provides innovative products, services and managed solutions that address the test, assurance, and automation challenges of a new generation of technologies, including 5G, SD-WAN, cloud, autonomous vehicles and beyond. From the lab to the real world, Spirent helps companies deliver on their promise to their customers of a new generation of connected devices and technologies.
www.spirent.com
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Notes to Editors:
For further information please contact:
Media Relations, Cranfield University.
T: +44 (0) 1234 75 4999
Email: mediarelations@cranfield.ac.uk
About Cranfield University
Cranfield is a specialist postgraduate university that is a global leader for education and transformational research in technology and management.
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