Public Funding for Baines Simmons Limited

Aviation is a significant contributor to climate change, responsible for 2% of global CO2 emissions. The aim of the project is to place the Swedish and UK aerospace industries on a pathway to the multi-billion dollar opportunity to accelerate the transition of short-haul air travel to electric propulsion. This aligns with the focus of Sweden (Innovair) and the UK's (ATI) national aerospace strategies of supporting leadership in green aviation, R&D, international partnerships, SMEs to drive industry competitiveness and increasing exports and skilled employment for both countries. The project scope consists of five major work packages: 1\. Stakeholder requirements; 2\. R&D framework aligned to aviation safety standards; 3\. Technology requirements; 4\. Design and manufacture battery pack prototype; and 5\. Validate and verify in laboratory and ground testing. The Eureka collaborative innovation grant creates the arena for a post-Brexit international collaboration between Sweden and the UK electric aerospace ecosystems to support the nascent technology development of electric aircraft, with strategic relevance based on three key themes: 1\. Synergistic technical capabilities of Swedish Heart Aerospace developing electric drivetrain (motor & controllers) and UK Electroflight developing propulsion battery systems to address the challenging requirements of the aviation environment. 2\. Mutual commitment of Swedish and UK governments and national aerospace strategies to decarbonise aviation. 3\. Sweden and the UK share coastal, island and mountain geography requiring regional airline and airport operations as a critical transport link, which are uniquely suited to the early adoption of electric aircraft.