Deep tech innovation organisation Digital Catapult has launched its latest Industry Challenge Led Accelerator, aimed at providing a new route to connect UK SMEs with the practical adoption of digital twins.
The programme, delivered via the UK Digital Twin Centre, will bring innovative UK SMEs together with industry leaders to collaborate on solving the practical challenges facing businesses in high-growth industries.
Widespread adoption of digital twins remains slow, despite the transformative potential they have for organisations seeking to more effectively design, operate and maintain complex systems, with organisations often struggling to identify high-value use cases.
Concurrently, SMEs often find opportunities to demonstrate the real-life applications of their technologies scarce, creating obstacles to scaling and commercialising innovative solutions.
The accelerator programme, which is backed by Innovate UK, will provide up to 12 UK SMEs with up to £75,000, enabling them to develop proof-of-concept solutions over the course of nine months.
SMEs selected for the programme will work with industry challenge owners Artemis Technologies, BAE Systems, Thales and Vertical Aerospace to explore how their deep tech innovations can be applied to the aerospace and defence industries.
Challenges that the programme will support SMEs in tackling include: improving object detection and collision avoidance for next generation vessels (working with Artemis Technologies); enhancing health monitoring and predictive maintenance for uncrewed vessels (Thales); improving efficiency and safety in aircraft flight testing (Vertical Aerospace); and developing digital twins to support aircraft system health monitoring, predictive maintenance and future fleet management (BAE Systems).
Experts from Digital Catapult and the UK Digital Twin Centre will provide successful applicants with mentoring and technical consultancy, while the industry challenge owners will provide real-world insight and expertise.
The programme will give participants access to specialist facilities and solutions will be demonstrated at a public showcase, connecting businesses with industry figures, investors and future customers.
Dr Katrina Thompson, Director, UK Digital Twin Centre, commented: “Digital twins have incredible potential to transform our economy, but practical adoption comes down to proving how they can solve real-world challenges.”
“We’re thrilled to partner with four key industry players to support innovative SMEs to test and validate ideas, prove the value of those ideas, and boost adoption to tackle a range of challenges in the maritime, aerospace and defence sectors in the UK.”
