AEROSPACE CORNWALL

Businesses looking to expand their markets in the space-tech sector are being offered the opportunity and funding to pivot into the industry via a new fully funded grant.

Do you think your existing product, service or technology can innovate in the UK’s growing space and aerospace industry? Now could be the perfect time to look at market diversification options.

AeroSpace Cornwall has launched a fullyfunded grant of up to £10k for businesses seeking to maximise their potential by exploring new avenues. Through this Market Diversification offer, the AeroSpace team help companies connect with partner businesses, opening the door for collaboration. The team will also ensure the product is seen by the right people - facilitating introductions to investors with vested interest in the specific area of expertise.

Touchbyte is one of the businesses which has already benefited from this grant. It has been developing a unique facial recognition unit for worksites. Its innovative new Contactless Access Control Solution replaces fingerprint technology, keycodes, plastic cards and phones - reducing the amount of touchpoint entry systems in a post-pandemic world.

This transformation in on-site touch free access has led to a number of hotel and construction companies keen to use the product. AeroSpace Cornwall is now working with TouchByte to install the system in space industry environments, such as secure clean rooms and satellite communication control centres at Goonhilly Earth Station.

Once the opportunity within the space and aerospace markets has been explored, AeroSpace Cornwall can enable the businesses to stimulate further R&D within these sectors, using their product, service, or technology – becoming an integral part of the overall growth of Cornwall’s industry.

For those businesses who want to scope out the opportunity for their idea in space or aerospace, AeroSpace Cornwall is also offering a Market Research Grant, which enables companies to diversify their position through research into the potential for their product.

The Market Research Grant has already helped champion further growth by supporting businesses to put their ideas into practice. Cornwall’s aerospace industry has seen significant market research and development through UAV flight trials between Land’s End Airport and the Isles of Scilly.

As the main lifeline transport service between the mainland and the islands, The Isles of Scilly Steamship Group operates a daily air freight service carrying time critical goods such as medicines, blood samples and essential business supplies. However, on occasion, flights can be disrupted due to adverse weather - preventing freight getting on and off the island.

In order to address this, the Steamship Company is looking to diversify and has seen an opportunity in enhancing the air freight service for the Community - exploring how UAVs could operate between their routes. This has led to research into how it could become a test and training facility for UAV operators across the UK. Thanks to the grant from AeroSpace Cornwall, it is currently working with the leading over the horizon operator, Flylogix, to trial a frequent UAV air freight service for the islands later this year.

The Market Research grant has also enabled mining consultancies, North Coast Consulting and Carrack Consulting, to explore the benefits of satellite data to aid more responsible mining practices. North Coast Consulting is considering developing a bespoke mining application to enable instant info capture, and reporting, which would use satellite technology to provide better accuracy of position and allow large areas to be surveyed at a reduced cost. This app would check for mining related ground movement from historic mine features, to continue the drive toward a more responsible, sustainable era of mining.

To further this drive - in another innovative collaboration between technologies - Carrak Consulting has received a fully funded £5k grant from AeroSpace Cornwall to enable knowledge transfer between AI specialists, Jane Gallwey Surveying, for the analysis of hyperspectral drone data. The funding will accelerate their new project, which aims to use the data to identify areas of arsenic contamination at abandoned mine sites.

With an incredible range of research and market potential being unlocked as a result of the Market Diversification and Research grants, if you are interested in exploring your idea, or examining your market position in the space and aerospace sector, get in touch with AeroSpace Cornwall today: aerospacecornwall.co.uk/introduce-yourself There is a total of £100k available for Market Diversification and Research. The average grant size is around £5k, though up to £10k is available depending on your business needs.