Over £4 million in funding has been awarded from Innovate UK to businesses developing next-generation aviation technology.

Invested as part of the Future Flight programme, the funding is designed to secure the UK’s global leadership in the future of aviation and the fast-growing field of drones and unmanned aircraft systems.

The programme encourages the innovative use of aviation technologies to support a variety of challenges in the UK, from medical supply chains, protecting national infrastructure, and agricultural restoration.

Eight of the projects are for strategic growth, aiming to demonstrate progress towards commercialisation.

These focus on real-world operations proving use cases in a variety of sectors, from agriculture to healthcare and provide tangible insights to support regulatory development in key areas.

Six of the projects are regional demonstrators, which have been funded to enable local areas across the UK to plan for the adoption and integration of drones.

This includes passenger carrying eVTOL (Electric Vertical Take-off and Landing) and zero emission conventional aircraft.

“Innovate UK is proud to continue supporting the UK’s future flight ecosystem, accelerating the route to commercial operations and delivering real-world impact,” Future Flight deputy director, Simon Masters, said.

“These ambitious new projects highlight the strength of the sector and its diverse applications, from reducing emissions, advancing healthcare delivery and protecting our environment.

“By focusing on regional adoption, we aim to drive faster, more impactful growth and societal benefits for communities across the UK.”

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Aviation minister, Keir Mather, said: “We’re backing the next generation of British aviation businesses whose transformative technologies will reshape how we live and work in the years to come.

“Investing in emerging technologies like drones and unmanned aircraft is key to build a greener and more efficient transport system.

“But this isn’t just good news for the environment, this tech will also save our public sector and businesses valuable time and cash whilst helping boost skills and support high quality jobs across the country.”

The funded projects include:

• Advanced Logistics BVLOS UAV Mission (ALBUM)
• ALIAS II: Regulatory Policy Concepts Enabling Integrated Traffic Management
• Beyond Restoration
• Containment with Confidence
• “Dragon’s Heart”: A Welsh Medical Drone Delivery Network
• Drone as a First Responder
• London Health Bridge Growth
• Scaling BVLOS Operations for Critical National Infrastructure (Project SOCNI)
• Future Air: Southwest
• OXCAM AAM Corridor
• Regional Offshore Cargo Drone Demonstrator
• Project RESCUE
• SATE: Highlands and Islands Regional Pathway to Sustainable Aviation
• Project URBAN ASCENT