The contribution of SMEs & the supply chain to FlyZero

Chris Gear, Project Director for FlyZero, puts the case of why UK SMEs and supply chain should contribute to the FlyZero project team.

FlyZero is offering paid secondee positions in technical, strategic, commercial and project management roles.

Within industry, larger companies are possibly more familiar with arranging secondments for their employees – but we want small businesses to put people forward for a secondee role in FlyZero too.

We are looking for people who can contribute but also gain knowledge and capabilities to take back to their parent companies. We are not just focusing on the technology; we are developing a new approach to working collaboratively. We need to act quickly, fail fast, and learn how to leverage technology sprints.

The FlyZero team will work closely with others from across aerospace and non-aerospace sectors – people with whom they would not normally have collaborated. They will be exposed to new thinking and new ways of doing things. They will see how their specialist knowledge fits into the broader context of solving complex engineering problems. And they will make a direct impact on how the UK aerospace sector tackles the challenge of zero carbon-emission aviation.

While they do this their salary will be covered by the UK Government funding for FlyZero.

There will be two key measures of whether FlyZero is a success for the UK. One will be the progress made in evaluating new and disruptive technologies. The other will be the sharing of new knowledge and new experience to all parts of the UK aerospace sector. It is vital that SMEs and the supply chain benefit from that too.

The full list of FlyZero’s open vacancies can be found here.