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As the ATI’s 10^th anniversary year draws to a close, CEO Gary Elliott invites the sector to seize the opportunity the next 10 years brings.

Recent confirmation of £975m of government funding for the ATI Programme from 2026 to 2030 is a fitting end to the ATI’s tenth anniversary and comes at a pivotal time for the sector.

Ongoing supply chain challenges, the rate ramp up, economic and geopolitical pressures, and capitalising on the zero-carbon opportunity make the next ten years just as critical as the last.

With continued funding for the ATI Programme, the ATI will remain committed to supporting the entire ecosystem though collaborative opportunities, funding and providing strategic clarity. Aligned with the much-anticipated launch of new platforms, the ATI will work to ensure that the UK achieves its accessible market potential and I invite you to seize the opportunity this brings.

Reflecting on 2024

For the ATI, 2024 marked 10 years of transforming aerospace through technology and innovation. That’s ten years of targeted investment in UK aerospace R&D, amounting to £3.64bn when match funded by industry.

In the last financial year (October 2023 – September 2024), £203.3m was contracted through the ATI Programme to 21 projects involving 64 unique partners. Discover more in our recently published Impact Report and read about the projects on our new Projects page.

This year, the ATI launched two funding streams in the SME Programme and Non-CO2 Programme which also saw the ATI produce a ‘first of its kind’ non-CO2 emissions roadmap which together will accelerate industrial research in this important area.

The ATI Hub continues to support applicants to the programmes while catalysing innovation through expert guidance, showcase opportunities and high impact events.

Welcoming the world to Destination Zero

At Farnborough International Airshow in July, we partnered with Farnborough International and industry contributors to deliver an immersive exhibition showcasing the strength and breadth of the UK aerospace sector. Over 1,000 visitors including newly appointed ministers were guided through an embodiment of the Destination Zero strategy, which showcased UK technology leadership, incredible innovation and an appetite for collaboration.

Watch our highlights from Farnborough International Airshow 2024 on YouTube

Before that in April, the Hydrogen Capability Network (HCN) completed its initial phase of work and identified three areas for future interventions: skills, research and infrastructure and is developing the business case for a future operating model. The team has also launched an interactive Network Map to showcase the training courses, research projects and facilities in the UK’s hydrogen-in-aerospace community and several publications are now available. Addressing the elements key to enabling the accelerated development of hydrogen aircraft technologies here in the UK delivers against both growth targets and environmental commitments.

Finally, thank you to everyone who completed our 2024 Stakeholder Survey. Your feedback is invaluable in shaping our activity to provide the sector with the best support possible. As with the previous survey, I hope you will notice the improvements in the coming year.

While our tenth anniversary year was an opportunity to look back and celebrate impact, it has also been a chance to look to the future. I want to ensure that the ATI continues to influence, lead and enable the industry to retain our competitive advantage on our journey to Destination Zero. Building on our approach to innovation and leveraging further early stage, patient, private capital to ensure we continue to take a lead in sustainable flight. I look forward to working with you to achieve this.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy a well-earned break over Christmas and New Year.