The ATI Programme: Unlocking opportunities across all ATI roadmaps

The ATI’s Head of Programme Delivery, Romina Davoudi, reflects on 10 years of transforming aerospace through technology and innovation with the ATI Programme.

In Spring 2022, the ATI published an updated technology strategy for UK aerospace, Destination Zero, which set out how the UK can take a lead in the transition to the ultra-efficient, zero-carbon and cross-cutting technologies required to reach Net Zero in aviation.

Assessing progress against the technology strategy, we identified the areas that are key to achieving Net Zero 2050 and bolstering UK competitiveness which require investment in funding batches.

Later in 2023, the ATI assessed progress against the technology strategy. The aim was to pinpoint which of these essential areas had yet to receive attention or investment in research and technology (R&T) development. These identified areas then became the primary funding opportunities within the ATI Programme.

While the primary funding opportunities served as focal points, they represented just the tip of the iceberg in the vast landscape of aerospace innovation. They served as an additional resource to enrich the ATI’s decision-making process in that period, rather than confining the ATI Programme to predetermined funding streams or overshadowing other innovative ideas.

We encourage applications for projects that align with the roadmaps in our technology strategy, Destination Zero. Each of our roadmaps represents a critical avenue toward achieving our goals to achieve Net Zero and enhance industrial competitiveness – and as such, all projects falling within these are considered by the ATI.

We welcome all stakeholders – whether established industry players, ambitious startups, or visionary researchers – to engage with us.

Through this collaboration, industry leaders can drive technological advancement within their organisations while also contributing to the broader aerospace innovation ecosystem, promoting sustainable growth and competitiveness.

The aerospace industry stands at a crucial juncture, facing the imperative challenge of achieving Net Zero carbon emissions while maintaining global competitiveness for the UK. To achieve these goals, we invite applications to all our funding programmes across all our equally critical technology roadmaps.

All the funding opportunities within the ATI Programme maintain an open competition approach, fostering active participation and welcoming ideas from the entire civil aerospace spectrum. We continue to encourage ideas and engagement from across the whole aerospace spectrum that is aligned with the technology strategy, Destination Zero.