Advancing UK Aerospace, Defence, Security & Space Solutions Worldwide
  • Home
  • /
  • Aerospace
  • /
  • Digital Catapult reveals seven industry partners

Aerospace Defence

Digital Catapult reveals seven industry partners

As the Digital Catapult today reveals seven industry partners, including BAE Systems, Babcock and Safran, new research commissioned by Digital Catapult and the Made Smarter Technology Accelerator shows COVID-19 could prove to be a turning point in UK manufacturers implementing advanced technologies such as AI, blockchain, IoT or 5G, with 77% saying that the pandemic has made their business more open to change and innovation.

Image courtesy BAE Systems

Yet, despite recognising such technologies would benefit their manufacturing operations (71%), design and engineering processes (60%) and procurement and supply chain performance (49%), a third (32%) of senior manufacturers have admitted that the UK is behind its international competitors when it comes to adopting advanced technologies.

Advertisement
Teledyne

The research revealed that the key barriers for accessing these benefits include lack of budget – particularly pertinent in light of the economic impacts of the pandemic – with 40% of respondents saying it is stopping them investing. This was closely followed by cyber security concerns (32%) and a lack of skills within the company (30%).

To help manufacturers overcome these hurdles, as well as fast-forward and shape the UK’s technology innovation directly into industry, the Made Smarter Technology Accelerator empowers established manufacturers to join forces with innovative technology startups and scaleups to develop technology prototypes and minimum viable products in order to drive productivity, digitalisation and innovation and ultimately push forward the fourth industrial revolution for the UK manufacturing sector.

Today Digital Catapult has announced the seven industry partners – including BAE Systems, Babcock International Group and Sainsbury’s – which have partnered with the match-funded Made Smarter Technology Accelerator programme and have set 14 challenges for the technology companies to respond to. The challenges range from increasing shelf life and sell through of products while reducing waste (Sainsbury’s) to  scalable artificial intelligence for visual inspection (BAE Systems).

The seven partners joining the programme are Babcock International Group, BAE Systems, GAF, Northumbrian Water Group (NWG), O’Neills Irish International Sports Company Limited, Safran Landing Systems and Sainsbury’s.

The successful startup and scaleup applicants selected to respond will be provided with up to £20,000 funding each and a platform to grow as they develop prototypes to address these challenges. In return for both match-funded financial and in-kind contributions, partners will gain direct access to the outputs and learnings of the programme as well as have proof of concepts developed for challenges they set. 

Dr Jeremy Silver, CEO of Digital Catapult said: “Navigating this years’ extremely challenging conditions has been tough for manufacturers of all sizes, right across the UK. Digital Catapult is dedicated to working hand in hand with industry and the UK’s vibrant tech startup community, and it’s really encouraging to see so many organisations from the sector seize this opportunity to embrace innovation as an important means of building back better. The Made Smarter Technology Accelerator will make visible how a range of disruptive emerging technologies will really work to benefit early industrial adopters. It will also clarify routes to market for digital innovators.  The outcomes from this programme are really positive, we will see new and traditional businesses working together - making enormous savings, significantly improving productivity,  developing new business models, boosting exports and delivering on challenging net-zero targets.”

Advertisement
ODU RT

Juergen Maier, Chair of Digital Catapult and Co-Chair of Made Smarter added: “Our newly announced partners have set ambitious challenges, and the UK’s vibrant and diverse digital technology innovation community is incredibly well-placed to respond. By creating bonds between technology startups and scaleups and the manufacturing industry we have the opportunity for the UK to lead the way in the fourth industrial revolution – as advanced technology radically alters, and improves, the way we approach manufacturing.”

Andy Schofield, Technology Delivery Director at BAE Systems said, “BAE Systems is on a continuing mission to be a front-line developer and instigator of future manufacturing technology. Our customers’ demands for ever more complex and flexible products along with ever shortening timelines and challenging cost targets makes alignment with the Made Smarter Accelerator and Digital Catapult a clear match to achieving our long term goals, thereby sustaining us as a driving force in both UK and global manufacturing markets.”

Those in the digital technology innovation community can register to join the programme – and the UK’s manufacturers can stay up to date – via www.madesmartertech.uk.   Applications for startups close 07 February 2021.

 

Advertisement
General Atomics LB
Manchester Airport has busiest ever June

Aerospace

Manchester Airport has busiest ever June

11 July 2025

More than three million passengers travelled through Manchester Airport last month – the first time the UK’s global gateway in the North has passed that mark in June.

Lane Electronics to showcase defence connectivity at MSPO

Aerospace Defence Events

Lane Electronics to showcase defence connectivity at MSPO

11 July 2025

Lane Electronics, a franchised distributor for many of the industry’s major electrical, electronic and optical connector manufacturers, will be Exhibiting at MSPO 2025 (2nd–5th September 2025, Kielce, Poland), where they will be displaying the latest connector innovations and demonstrating their UK based assembling and value add services.

LK Metrology acquires ProCon X-Ray

Aerospace

LK Metrology acquires ProCon X-Ray

11 July 2025

Best known as a manufacturer and global supplier of coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) and more recently laser scanning sensors, Castle Donington based LK Metrology Ltd has acquired ProCon X-Ray GmbH, a specialist German manufacturer of computed tomography (CT) systems.

Titan Airways adds first Embraer E190LR to its fleet

Aerospace

Titan Airways adds first Embraer E190LR to its fleet

11 July 2025

Stansted based European charter airline, Titan Airways, has announced that it had completed the purchase of its first Embraer E190LR regional jet.

Advertisement
ODU RT
Flitetec secures two distribution agreements

Aerospace Defence Events

Flitetec secures two distribution agreements

11 July 2025

Amersham based aerospace business Flitetec, has confirmed two major deals that it shook on at the recent Paris Air Show.

IFS appoints Kriti Sharma as CEO of Nexus Black

Aerospace Security

IFS appoints Kriti Sharma as CEO of Nexus Black

11 July 2025

IFS has appointed Kriti Sharma as CEO of IFS Nexus Black. This strategic move reinforces IFS’s commitment to industrial AI and fast-tracks the development of agentic AI systems designed for the asset- and service-intensive industries it serves.

Advertisement
ODU RT