Open Skies Cornwall

Project dates: 1 April 2022 – 31 March 2025

About the project

The Open Skies Cornwall Project will create four thematic demonstration environments in Cornwall for real-world end users, technical specialists, uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) operators, regulators, innovators, and academics, to:

• Test new detect and avoid (DAA) systems and concepts in real world Cornish environments to develop uncrewed aircraft systems traffic management (UTM) and generate new market opportunities for UAS use locally, nationally, and internationally.
• Link end user drone delivery requirements to end user supply chain challenges and opportunities, contributing to market validation and future integration and commercialisation.
• Explore and test solutions, procedures, and concepts to meet regulatory requirements relating to airspace and land access and medical products transit compliance.
• Progress industrial research to integrate enabling technologies and support infrastructure for real world end users within our thematic environments.

Please Note: Funding available is the grant value awarded by Innovate UK.

Project activities

The project will address several use cases, including:

• Integration of drones within Royal Mail’s supply chain network, ground assets, and customers.
• Explore and demonstrate how drones can be incorporated into the NHS logistics supply.
• Integration of autonomous drone solutions and enabling infrastructure to complement and supplement maritime end user requirements in relation to data capture, ship-to-shore delivery and remote healthcare applications.
• Explore, test, and demonstrate how the Ministry of Defence could develop a humanitarian/disaster relief medical re-supply drone capability to support the logistical needs of NGOs domestically and internationally.
• Explore how DAA solutions tested within the project can enable opportunities for drones to contribute toward economic growth in Cornwall, considering applications such as wind energy, maritime, lithium extraction, agriculture, and tourism.

Benefits

Through the above use cases, Open Skies Cornwall will help to develop cost-effective and efficient solutions for postal and parcel delivery to remote communities, add resilience to critical medical supply deliveries, explore how the solutions could support humanitarian efforts, and support Cornwall’s wider economy.

To find out more about the project, please contact Innovate UK Business Connect’s Knowledge Transfer Manager for Aviation.

Project partners

• DronePrep
• Cornwall Council
• Falmouth Harbour
• jHub Med
• Neuron Innovations
• Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board
• Royal Mail
• Skyports Drone Services
• University of Southampton
• Thales UK
• Land’s End Airport