TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIP IN AERONAUTICS
The aerospace industry is one of the UK’s leading and most successful
manufacturing sectors. It comprises a small number of world-class systems
integrators, major first tier suppliers and a large pool of lower tier
suppliers, many world leaders in their particular areas of expertise.
Their capability depends on a number of factors of which technology
is crucial. For this reason, much of our work is aimed at supporting
the UK industry’s efforts across a wide range of technology activity.
These activities, which we describe as technology partnership given
the close dialogue that exists between the UK aeronautics industry and
the DTI, is set out in more detail below.
Aeronautics Research Programme (formerly CARAD)
A major key to competitiveness in aerospace is the long-term supply
of new technologies. In common with other major aeronautics nations,
the UK provides financial support for civil aeronautics research, but
on a very limited scale. Since 1990, the DTI managed this function through
the Civil Aircraft Research and Demonstration CARAD
programme. The programme was renewed for a further 5 years in April
2001, and it is now known as the Aeronautics Research Programme.
This is part of the UK’s nationally integrated research effort in aeronautics.
It supports collaborative pre-competitive research and technology demonstration
in industry, at universities, and research organisations, and encourages
industry to work with QinetiQ,
part of the former Defence Research and Evaluation Agency (DERA), to
build on its capabilities for the benefit of the civil industry, with
the aim of improving the technological competitiveness of the UK industry
in the long-term.
The programme supports a nationally integrated programme in the following
interdependent aeronautics technologies:
- Aerodynamics
- Propulsion systems
- Materials and Structures
- Aircraft systems
The programme supports the UK aeronautics sector through direct grants
for work led by industry, in collaboration with other firms or universities
with DTI providing up to 50% of the project funding.
Levels of support are negotiated case by case but can be up to 50%
of eligible project costs. The programme funds basic and applied research
but does not provide assistance for product development activity.
Collaborative projects with at least two partners from industry, research
organisations and academia in the UK are, in general are eligible apply
for support.
Further details are available from Andrew
Culley, Tel: 020 7215 1137.
The programme supports dual-use (civil/military) programmes in partnership
with the Ministry of Defence, helping to form a bridge between MoD and
civil funding of dual-use projects.
European Transonic Windtunnel
The UK, Germany, France and the Netherlands have established a high
Reynolds number windtunnel in Cologne
for the accurate testing of aircraft models under representative flight
conditions. The UK involvement is currently shared by DTI and MoD. Despite
some initial technical setbacks, ETW moved into the first operation
phase in June 1994, and the first model testing commenced.
Industry representatives from the four partner countries have expressed
their satisfaction with the technical progress but these successes achieved
by ETW have yet to be rewarded commercially. Market prospects are not
as strong as the original forecasts indicated when it was decided, many
years ago, to build ETW. A programme of cost reductions which commenced
in 1998 has allowed ETW to reduce its cost base significantly. This
should help ETW improve its attraction as a competitive high quality
windtunnel test facility.
To ensure the long term availability of this relatively new facility,
the partner countries are in the process of endorsing a new funding
regime for the period 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2003. After that
period, the partner governments expect industry to take a much more
active involvement in the management of ETW. As far as UK involvement
is concerned, the DTI will cover the period of the new funding regime
before making an increasing commitment to ETW enabling MoD to reduce
its commitment and focus its limited resources on higher priorities.
Environmental Impact Of Aviation
DTI’s role in civil aviation environmental issues is to ensure the
international regulations and standards that are developed to minimise
the impact of civil aviation are adequate, fair, contribute to the aviation
industry’s sustainability and are not in conflict with the legitimate
interests of UK aerospace industries.
This requires policy development, co-ordination of research activities,
environmental model development, project environmental assessment and
environmental forecasts and scenarios. Close co-operation takes place
with Department for Transport which
takes technical advice from us. We co-operate with the
We support these international bodies with high quality technical information,
and represent UK industrial interests as necessary. QinetiQ is brought into this arena through collaborative
programmes, some of which are supported by DTI.
The National Defence And Aerospace Systems Panel
(NDASP)
Launched in April 2002, the panel aims to bring together the voices
of government, industry, academia, trade associations and others to
make sure that the UK defence and aerospace sectors are prepared for
the challenges of the future, now.
Following the launch of Foresight
in 1994, the Defence and Aerospace Panel was created. The second round
of Foresight began in 1999 and the Defence Aerospace and Systems Panel
produced its report Action for Future Systemsin December 2000.
The next round of Foresight began on 1 April 2002 and will move
away from sectoral panels to a focused, flexible, rolling programme
of topics. But a defence and aerospace panel still has an important
role to play; so much so that a new National Defence and Aerospace Systems
Panel, sponsored jointly by MoD and DTI, will take forward the work
begun by DASP.
The new Panel will continue to be a unique forum in which to debate
issues of importance to the defence and aerospace sectors. It will pursue
through ad hoc task forces key issues and report on these to influence
decision-making and funding of Research and Technology in the UK it
will use its network of individuals and organisations to make the sector
stronger and more responsive to future challenges. Its reporting lines
into MoD and DTI will ensure it continues to have the ear of Government
decision-makers at the highest levels.
In particular, the new Panel will continue to drive the two key live
strands of work initiated by DASP: Defence Aerospace and Research Partnerships;
and National Advisory Committees.
DARPS Defence Aerospace and Research Partnerships
These are industry-led university-based partnerships that focus on
important areas of research. We currently have twelve DARPS which are
supported by EPSRC, DTI and MOD and industry. The DARPS have been invited
to submit bids under the DARPS 2002 initiative for continued funding:
- Rotorcraft
- Advanced Metallic airframes
- High Integrity Real Time (HIRTS)
- Modelling & Simulation of Turbulence & Transition
for Aerospace
- Advanced Aeroengine Materials
- A Partnership for Research in Data & Sensor Fusion
- Unsteady Modelling for Aerodynamics (PUMA)
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- DARP for Design
- Safety and Integrity for Advanced Maritime Structures
- Propagation Measurements & Modelling for Defence Applications
- Analysis & Design of Aerospace Composite Structures (ADACS)
- Management and Control of Aerodynamic Flows for Industrial
Application (MAFIA
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National Advisory Committees
NACs bring together UK experts and act as the UK’s advisory bodies
in the following areas:
- Aerodynamics
- Materials and Structures
- Avionics and Flight Systems
- Human Factors
- Synthetic Environments
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- Systems Engineering
- Aerospace Manufacturing
- Mechanical Systems
- Electronic Materials and Devices
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They will continue to be supported by the new panel and encouraged
to play a key role in influencing UK policy and investment decisions.
A report on the future of the NACs was issued recently and is available
on the NACs pages of the Foresight
website.
Future work planned for the panel
The National Defence Industry Technology Strategy (NDITS) produced
by DASP has proved invaluable to the industry and government, so the
new panel plans to do some more work in the area of developing a National
Defence Technology Strategy. This should support in particular the key
new MoD initiatives on Defence Technology Centres and Towers of Excellence,
and the DTI work on Civil Aerospace Relevance Trees.
How NDASP will operate
NDASP will be co-sponsored by the MoD reporting through the R&T
sub-group of the NDIC and the DTI reporting through the DTI Aerospace
Committee. It will also have close association with other key stakeholders
in industry (through relevant trade associations: eg SBAC, DMA), academia
and the relevant Professional Institutions. The main panel will be
supported by two sub-groups: the Research and Technology Task Force,
chaired by Ric Parker of Rolls-Royce, which will take forward the work
on DARPS 2002 and NACs, and the Defence Task Forced chaired by Paul
Wrobel of Thales which will focus on the National Defence Technology
Strategy.
Other sub-groups will be formed to work on specific topics as the new
work of NDASP gets fully underway.
The Future
NDASP will build on the successes of Foresight. It will continue to
be a unique forum in which to debate issues relevant to the defence
and aerospace sectors and use its network of individuals and organisations
to make the sector stronger and more responsive to the challenges of
the future.
For more information contact Dr
Ray Kingcombe, telephone 020 7215 1115.
Engineering And Physical Sciences Research Council
(EPSRC)
Aerospace and Defence staff also keep in close touch with the EPSRC
which supports aerospace relevant research at universities through Responsive
Mode and a number of Managed Programmes. Managed Programmes require
industrial collaboration in the form of either direct cash or in kind
contributions (anything up to 50% depending on the programme). Responsive
Mode provides continual access to individuals for more generic research,
often attracting some industrial collaboration.
Two programmes have recently closed - one having successfully met its
original objectives in the case of the Innovative Manufacturing Initiative
Aerospace sector, and the other following a formal independent review
in the case of the Aerodynamics Managed Programme. Numerous other opportunities
continue to exist. EPSRC spent approximately £14 million on aeronautics-related
research in 1998/99.
European Commission: Community Research And
Development Information Service (CORDIS)
The European Union runs five-year Framework Programmes to support research.
Civil aeronautics has always been a part of these Framework programmes
supporting research in industry and at universities. In the Fifth Framework,
under the Competitiveness and Sustainable Growth Programme, there is
a Key Action (no.4) specifically ring fenced for aeronautics, entitled
“ New Perspectives in Aeronautics”. 700 million Euro has been set aside
for Key Action 4, about half of which is for large validation projects.
The UK has always played an active part in EU supported research projects
and UK companies and universities have been successful again in the
three calls in Framework Programme 5. There is likely to be a gap before
the first call in Framework 6 in 2003.
The commission has published its initial proposal for the next Framework
Programme. There is some concentration of research into fewer themes
but a programme for Aeronautics and Space is currently proposed with
a budget of €1.075bn. Information on Framework programmes is available
from the European Commission’s CORDIS
website. Information and guidance on how SMEs can access Framework 5
funding is available from BETA
Technology Limited. Consultation on the shape of the sixth Framework
Programme has commenced, with aeronautics so far identified as a priority
area.
Group For Aeronautical Research And Technology
In Europe (GARTEUR)
Our Director of Aerospace and Defence Technology is one of the UK representatives
on the Council of GARTEUR, which is a unique body created to promote
collaboration between member countries in civil and military aeronautics
research. With Italy formally signing the MoU during the year, membership
now includes all seven aeronautics countries in Europe: UK, France,
Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy.
The Group has been pursuing an initiative for a more focused European
collaboration on research and technology acquisition, initially through
the programmes of the national research establishments. In this second
and last year of the UK chairmanship, the UK has been pressing for progress
on initiatives both on an initial disclosure of the research programmes
that the governments are supporting and in identifying priority topics
for collaborative activity.
Discussions have also been held with industry to broaden this activity
but the commercial framework limiting coordination in some areas is
also changing with moves towards consolidation in the industry during
the year. The aim is to facilitate the design of joint programmes which
are intended to improve European value for money by reducing duplication.
With initial moves towards greater European military co-ordination,
there has been debate about the future positioning of GARTEUR in this
structure.
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