UFO (Small Flying Objects) call for proposals

UFO is seeking collaborative projects (of 2 or more SMEs) to develop innovative products and services by integrating new embedded technology solutions in the Small Flying Objects (SFO) area i.e. Smallsats, Drones and High Altitude platform systems, to support the six targeted Emerging Industries.

Participation is open to all SMEs based in one of the UFO partners countries (Bulgaria, France, Greece, Romania, United Kingdom).

The UFO project – Emerging indUstries new value chains boosted by small Flying Objects, has received funding from the EU’s Horizon 2020 Programme under Grant Agreement 873411.

The UFO project is based on two main assumptions:

1. Business opportunities lie in the combination of space data with digital technologies and other sources of data. Embedded Key Enabling Technologies (KETs) into small flying objects (SFOs – drones, small satellites, high altitude platforms) represent a great opportunity to collect additional aerospace data, especially to drive the Artificial Intelligence revolution for various global applications.

2. The value-added applications in Europe are mostly driven by SMEs. Thus, the UFO project aims at fostering the development of cross-sectoral industrial value chains between 6 emerging industries (Mobility technologies, Climate, Environment, Blue Growth, Digital Creative & Gaming and Finance & Insurance industries), SFOs, embedded KETs and data analysis and exploitation solutions stimulating the development of new products and services by SMEs

UFO project has collected challenges and needs from end users and potential customers, it is enhancing collaboration of SMEs from the different sectors (SFO, Embedded systems, ICT) in ideation sessions and is now opening application calls to fund up to 60000€ per SME for projects offering solutions to the challenges.

This voucher scheme is made to support and finance SMEs to bring their idea closer to realisation and market. SMEs are encouraged to submit their cross-border and cross-sectoral disruptive ideas to the present UFO Call for proposals detailing their business proposition, the technical and commercialisation challenges they face and the assistance they require.

UFO aims to support European SMEs in the development of innovative products and services by integrating new technological solutions and know-how provided by Small Flying Objects (SFOs): Drones, High Altitude Platforms Systems (HAPS) and Small Satellites

The project focuses on the related embedded digital technologies, Key Enabled Technologies (KETs), data analysis and exploitation solutions (ICT) for 6 emerging industries:

• Blue Growth
• Digital Creative and Gaming
• Mobility
• Climate
• Finance and Insurance
• Environment

Following the successful completion of the projects, the UFO partners will offer to support the SMEs in their region / country to develop exploitation plans. This will include requirements for incubation, internationalisation, and business model development. Links with the SpaceWave and Space2ID GO projects will be established in order to provide additional support to SMEs’ internationalisation. The UFO project will also hold a final Showcase event to promote the SMEs and their project results. The aim of the Showcase Event will be to provide the opportunity for all partners to network with each other, but also with potential customers, investors and business partners, so the attendance of this event will be strongly encouraged.

The project has also made briefing papers available: these give suggested use cases and potential applications for each of the above domains, although applicants are not limited to the use cases suggested here.