Innovate UK release latest delivery plan
Innovate UK has outlined how will it drive disruptive technology innovation in the next year, with the release of its 2016/2017 delivery plan.
The announcement is good news for the automotive industry, revealing plans to help continue to support the UK’s automotive industry through funding competitions. Some key opportunities for companies in automotive industry to access Innovate UK’s resources include:
- IDP13, the next instalment of the series of competitions funded by OLEV, which is scheduled for Q3.
- Two Manufacturing & Materials competitions scheduled for May and November, which may be suitable to develop manufacturing processes for automotive products
- A Connected and Autonomous Vehicles competition, which will be delivered on behalf of the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) and is scheduled in for summer 2016
It was also announced that Innovate will work alongside OLEV on innovation opportunities in heavy goods vehicles, with further details expected to be announced later in the year.
The support given by Innovate UK to early stage technology developers helps progress companies to a greater TRL and MRL. Projects that pass through these competitions may then be at a suitable level to apply for APC grant funding, to take their technology from prototype to mass production.