There is exciting news for the South West’s booming aerospace sector as £236,000 of funding has been secured to create a Future Flight Innovation Zone (FFIZ) in Somerset and Devon.
The FFIZ will help to create a safe and environmentally friendly future for aviation and it will form part of a Future Aviation Test and Innovation Zone that is focussed around two key sites; iAero in Yeovil and Exeter Airport.
The Future Flight Innovation Zone is a unique eco-system that brings together key stakeholders from Industry, academia, skills providers, Local Authorities, business support organisations and institutions that include the Met Office and the Connected Places Catapult. The Connected Places Catapult aims to drive innovation and create solutions for more efficient, sustainable, and connected environments.
Everyone involved shares the same vision and ambition to accelerate the decarbonisation of flight and will be able to provide professional advice and assistance to technology companies operating in this sector.
The funding that has been won will deliver:
• A dedicated Sand Box with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) which will allow up to 4 companies to seek support from the CAA Innovation Team to work through what they will need to do to enable certification for the testing and demonstration of their product
• Specific CAA Innovation Advisor time to work with FFIZ to help further develop its activities
• Funding for Future Flight Testing infrastructure to enable testing and demonstration
Find out more at the Sustainable Skies World Summit today and tomorrow (15-16 May).
