Advancing UK Aerospace, Defence, Security & Space Solutions Worldwide
  • Home
  • /
  • Aerospace
  • /
  • Innovate UK announces £4.5m PEMD competition fund

Aerospace

Innovate UK announces £4.5m PEMD competition fund

Innovate UK, part of UK Research & Innovation (UKRI), has announced a new funding competition that will put the UK at the forefront of the research and manufacture of the power electronics, machines and drives (PEMD) sector.

Image courtesy Innovate UK

Investing up to £4.5 million into the sector, the Driving the Electric Revolution challenge’s Building Talent for the Future 2 competition aims to encourage the creation and delivery of industry-focused course content and materials to support skills and training across PEMD manufacturing and supply chains.

Advertisement
ODU RT

Building awareness of PEMD whilst filling key gaps in the UK’s workforce talent and training capabilities, the competition will be run in two stages:

  1. Opening on Monday 10th January 2022, organisations interested in applying for a grant valued between £50,000 and £1,000,000 will be required to submit an expression of interest (EOI) by Wednesday 2nd March 2022
  2. Upon receipt of an EOI, successful organisations will then be invited to apply for funding in March 2022.

Organisations submitting an EOI must deliver a clear game-changing intervention or address a clear industrial requirement whilst providing a long-term commitment to supporting the UK PEMD industry talent need. Organisations looking for a funding grant of less than £50,000 will not be required to submit at EOI, but will be required to submit their full proposal in March 2022.

Professor Will Drury, Challenge Director for Driving the Electric Revolution, said: “If we are to meet our Net Zero commitments by 2050, industry needs to move to clean technologies and electrification. PEMD technologies underpin electrification in all sectors and the UK is a world leader in the development of PEMD technology. But for years now we’ve lacked the skills needed to bring these ideas to reality.

“Without a skilled workforce we cannot create a strong PEMD manufacturing supply chain in the UK, forcing us to import these technologies from around the world.”

Advertisement
ODU RT

“By investing in skills, talent and training in this sector we aim to support the growth of not only the UK’s PEMD supply chains, but its people too.”

For further information or to register your interest in the Building Talent for the Future 2 – Expression of Interest Briefing at 10am on Wednesday 12th January, please visit: https://ktn-uk.org/events/building-talent-for-the-future-2-expression-of-interest-briefing

 

 

Advertisement
General Atomics LB
UK aviation starts year with record passenger numbers

Aerospace

UK aviation starts year with record passenger numbers

27 May 2026

New UK Civil Aviation Authority data released today shows more than 61 million passengers travelled through UK airports in the first three months of this year, breaking previous records for travel between January and March.

ATC punctuality stays high as air traffic grows

Aerospace

ATC punctuality stays high as air traffic grows

26 May 2026

Almost 98% of UK flights operated punctually in April, according to figures from UK air traffic controller NATS.

Air China Cargo increases A350F freighter order to 10

Aerospace

Air China Cargo increases A350F freighter order to 10

26 May 2026

Air China Cargo has signed a purchase agreement with Airbus for four additional A350F freighters, taking its total order for the type to 10 aircraft.

Loganair signs SAF offtake agreement with ClimaHtech Green Flight

Aerospace

Loganair signs SAF offtake agreement with ClimaHtech Green Flight

26 May 2026

Loganair and ClimaHtech Green Flight today announced a 15-year Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) offtake agreement, supporting the long-term decarbonisation of regional aviation in the UK.

Advertisement
ODU RT
NMIS reveals cold spray solution for copper rocket nozzle manufacturing

Aerospace

NMIS reveals cold spray solution for copper rocket nozzle manufacturing

26 May 2026

Engineers at the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) have developed a copper rocket nozzle manufacturing route using high-pressure cold spray, showcasing the technology’s potential as a large-scale, rapid additive manufacturing solution for efficiently producing high-performance components.

RIAT 2026 cancelled

Aerospace Defence Security Events

RIAT 2026 cancelled

22 May 2026

This year’s Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) will now not be taking place, cancelled due to issues regarding access to the event - at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire - amid concerns over conflict in the Middle East.

Advertisement
ODU RT
Advertisement
Hexagon leaderboard