3 innovative technologies selected for trial at Glasgow Airport

Glasgow Airport is set to trial three innovative technologies designed to improve the passenger experience and make airport operations more efficient.

Connected Places Catapult has announced the companies selected to take part in its Connected Airport Living Lab, an initiative supporting the development and adoption of new technologies across the UK’s aviation sector.

Supporting innovation in airport operations

Now in its fourth year, the Innovate UK-funded programme allows small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to develop, test and demonstrate their technologies in a live airport environment.

Delivered in partnership with Glasgow Airport, part of AGS Airports, the programme aims to accelerate the adoption of innovative solutions by helping businesses test their products against real operational challenges.

The selected companies will address three key areas: improving the performance of airport assets, understanding passenger sentiment and bringing together customer feedback from multiple sources.

Successful applicants receive funding of up to £30,000, tailored commercial support from Connected Places Catapult experts and access to airport facilities. The programme also provides valuable connections with industry stakeholders, helping businesses refine their technologies and prepare them for wider adoption.

The three selected companies for 2027

Beam Connectivity will trial its Connectivity as a Service (CaaS) platform, which uses intelligent, data-driven technology to improve the reliability and performance of airport infrastructure.

The solution provides real-time information about the condition and performance of critical assets, including equipment used in passenger-facing and airside operations.

By giving engineering teams greater visibility of asset performance, the platform aims to help identify potential problems, reduce disruption and improve operational efficiency. Ultimately, this could support more reliable journeys for passengers and help airport teams manage essential infrastructure more effectively.

UK technology company Createc specialises in robotics, artificial intelligence and advanced sensing technologies for complex environments. Its Situate solution combines anonymous LiDAR movement data with live passenger feedback to assess how factors such as crowding, queues, waiting times and passenger movement influence the airport experience.

The technology will provide live experience scores, identify emerging trends and generate early warnings when problems begin to develop. This information could help airport teams recognise pressure points, intervene earlier and assess how effectively operations recover following disruption.

Wordnerds helps organisations analyse customer feedback using natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning.

As part of the trial, the company will work with Glasgow Airport to develop bespoke models trained on real passenger feedback and operational data. The aim is to identify the factors influencing customer satisfaction and provide teams with clearer insights into passenger needs.

The trial will also explore artificial intelligence and agentic reporting capabilities to distribute actionable insights across the business, supporting faster, more informed decision-making.

Improving the airport experience

Gavin Birch-Williams, Managing Director of Glasgow Airport, said the airport had become a proving ground for technologies capable of addressing operational challenges while improving the passenger experience.

He highlighted the value of giving SMEs access to a live airport environment, where they can test and refine their solutions under real-world conditions. He also welcomed the opportunity to work with innovators to better understand passenger needs, improve critical asset performance and deliver a smoother, more efficient experience.

Sameer Savani, Transport Managing Director at Connected Places Catapult, said innovation was essential to meeting evolving operational demands and customer expectations. He welcomed the three selected companies and their technologies, emphasising the importance of testing new solutions in a live airport environment.

The latest trials build on the programme’s ongoing work to connect innovative businesses with the aviation industry. By testing technologies against real challenges, Glasgow Airport and Connected Places Catapult aim to help promising solutions develop into practical improvements for airports and their passengers.