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AI-based tactical situational awareness using swarms of small robots and drones – organisation of a technological challenge"

AI-based tactical situational awareness using swarms of small robots and drones – participation in a technological challenge"

Innovative AI methods and technologies for the process industries (Processes4Planet and AI, Data and Robotics Partnerships). Targets energy-efficient, low-emission process optimisation using ML and digital simulation.

AI-improved advanced manufacturing and production processes in factories (Made in Europe and AI, Data and Robotics Partnerships). Covers predictive maintenance, zero-defect manufacturing, and AI-driven process control.

Next-generation agile and intelligent robotics platforms for industrial and service applications (AI, Data and Robotics Partnership). Focus on flexible manipulation, perception and safe human-environment interaction.

Research on next-generation AI agents for real-world applications in the Apply AI priority sectors (AI, Data and Robotics Partnership). Targets autonomous reasoning, tool use, and multi-agent coordination.

Accelerating the discovery and development of chemicals and innovative advanced materials through digitalisation and AI (Innovative Advanced Materials for the EU partnership). Covers ML-driven material design and simulation.

Advanced local digital twins using AI for early warning and preparedness in urban and industrial environments. Integrates real-time IoT data, predictive modelling and crisis response planning.

Research on efficient and compliant access to and use of data for AI systems (AI, Data and Robotics Partnership). Covers federated learning, privacy-preserving AI, data spaces interoperability.

UK businesses can benefit from a Knowledge Transfer Partnership, collaborating with a university or research organisation and highly-qualified graduate. Up to £40 million is available this financial year for businesses to take part in a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP). The programme helps turn academic thinking into commercial products and services, bringing new knowledge and skills into businesses to boost growth and competitiveness. Academic thinking to commercial success KTPs offer funding and support to help UK businesses bring in new insight from academia to tackle a particular challenge they face. Businesses can begin a new partnership with a university, college or research and technology organisation, working with a Knowledge Transfer Advisor to set this up, or build on an existing relationship. Through this, they will recruit a suitable graduate to work on an innovation project. Projects can focus on any technology or industry area, and last between 1 and 3 years. Search for and contact a Knowledge Transfer Adviser . KTP applications must: focus on a specific project set out the nature and goals of the project give details of who will take part establish what the graduate will be expected to deliver Qioptiq secures largest contract Qioptiq designs and manufactures photonic products for multiple markets and sectors, including X-ray imaging for medical and modules for defence. Following a KTP with the Cardiff Business School at Cardiff University - which allowed it to implement more efficient, agile forecasting - Qioptiq secured a contract with the Ministry of Defence worth £82 million. This is the company’s largest ever and will ensure UK armed forces have access to essential night vision equipment. As a result of the contract, Qioptiq opened a £3.7 million warehouse in North Wales and increased its staff numbers. Read more about the partnership . Programme information applications for Knowledge Transfer Partnerships are open throughout the year the deadline for applications for this round is 3 April 2019. If an application misses a deadline it will automatically be entered into the next competition projects can last between 1 to 3 years businesses and not-for-profit organisations of any size can apply the size of the grant and own contribution can vary. Typically: small and medium-sized businesses can contribute around £35,000 per year, or around one-third of the project costs large businesses contribute about £55,000 per year, or half of the project costs Find out more about Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and how to apply .

Organisations can apply for a share of up to £20 million to develop prototype quantum devices as part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund. Innovate UK has up to £20 million to invest in projects that look at how quantum technologies could be used to create devices with radically new properties for commercially-viable products and services. The funding is under the government’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, which aims to bring together the UK’s world-leading research with business to meet the major industrial and societal challenges of our time. Find out more about the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund and the quantum technologies challenge. Prototype devices able to do new things Advances in quantum technologies could provide a breakthrough in the fields of sensing, imaging and information exchange. These could be used to develop new medical devices, new types of sensors and better, more secure communication systems. Projects in this competition must aim to develop and commercialise ‘second generation’ quantum prototype devices or systems. They should be able to do things that would be impossible by non-quantum means. They must address one or more of the following: improving situational awareness, including ensuring safety during transportation in hazardous conditions such as darkness, fog or dust increasing productivity in deployment, improvement or maintenance of buildings or national infrastructure improving identification and understanding of states and features that are impossible to see by conventional means, particularly in medical, environmental and security applications supporting secure peer-to-peer transfer of data and information, such as across smart cities and environments All projects will need to show how a device could ultimately be used by a customer and that there is a clear market in the UK. Find out more about how Innovate UK supports emerging and enabling technologies. Competition information the competition opens on 18 April 2018, and the deadline for applications is at midday on 13 June 2018 projects must be led by a UK-based business working with other businesses, charities, public sector organisations or researchers, and involve at least one SME we expect total project costs to be between £3 million and £10 million and for projects to last up to 29 months businesses could attract up to 70% of their project costs a briefing event will be held on 18 April 2018 Find out more about this competition and apply.

Up to £50 million is available to build a network of centres for digital pathology and medical imaging, via the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund. UK organisations can apply for a share of up to £50 million through a funding competition to develop a network of centres of excellence in digital pathology and medical imaging technology. Run under the Industrial Strategy This competition is part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund in the challenge area: from data to early diagnosis and precision medicine. The funding – which is provided by UK Research and Innovation and delivered by Innovate UK – will maximise the UK’s potential to diagnose diseases earlier and identify the best interventions for patients, as well as developing new treatments. One of the activities in this challenge focuses on digital pathology, radiology and diagnostics. It will help to advance the digitisation of these important areas of diagnosis, increase the efficiency and quality of the review process and get new precision treatments to patients earlier. Get the latest on the challenge area . What’s the opportunity In this competition we are seeking to establish up to 6 centres that specialise in digital pathology, medical imaging or both. These centres will be based across the UK and will be expected to work together through a framework agreement. Applications should focus on how they can add value to existing processes using digital systems, enhanced analytics and artificial intelligence. They should address common themes facing the healthcare sector including standardisation, data sharing and interoperability, regulation and scale up. Applications we are encouraging We are particularly encouraging applications that: allow access to the centres by clinical and non-clinical investigators support micro, small and medium-sized enterprises use large-scale, well-archived and annotated digital images illustrate how the centre will link digital image analyses with other forms of diagnostic information to achieve new medical insights consider and address the social, behavioural and economic implications in change management Successful centres must commit to: supporting data sharing and interoperability across platforms and systems to allow seamless access to digital image repositories making available advanced data storage and analytical environments that are capable of managing large numbers of digital images and their associated data gaining public trust through best practice compliance with data security, privacy and ethical standards Competition information the competition is open, and the deadline for applications is at midday on 1 August 2018 a UK-based business, NHS organisation or trust, hospital, research organisation, charity or Academic Health Science Network can lead a project, working in collaboration with others at least 2 organisations must apply per grant award total project costs should be between £14 million and £20 million businesses could attract up to 70% of their eligible costs applications that meet the quality threshold will be invited to interview in September 2018 a briefing event will be held on 15 June 2018 Find out more about applying for funding .

Innovate UK as part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) has up to £12 million to invest in innovative projects exploiting new quantum technologies and is seeking private investment partners to join it. New quantum technologies could transform products and services in many business sectors including automotive, healthcare, infrastructure, telecommunications, cybersecurity and defence. Quantum physics is at the heart of the electronics, media, computing and infrastructure systems we use in everyday life. A second generation of quantum technologies based on new quantum effects could lead to more secure digital communication, improved construction and radical increases in computing power. The UK government’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) Commercialising Quantum Technologies Challenge is a £153 million investment in projects that will help the UK to lead the world in development of these new technologies. Innovate UK, as part of UK Research and Innovation, has up to £12 million from the fund to invest in innovative research and development projects in the field. It is seeking investors willing to partner it by helping to find suitable businesses, managing the grant allocation and investing their own private equity capital. The aim is to improve access to financial and commercial support for SMEs developing innovative quantum technologies. Find out more about the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund Commercialising Quantum Technologies Challenge. Aim is to invest in quantum technologies with clear potential The aim of the partnership is to invest in quantum technologies that would not otherwise be supported within an investor’s risk strategy and to support innovations that have clear potential to be adopted at scale. Innovate UK is seeking investors that: demonstrate the interest, capability and capacity needed to invest in early-stage companies, including university spin-outs and businesses looking for their first investment opportunities demonstrate the ability to add value beyond their investment commit to helping the company grow and scale have access to relevant sector and technology-specific expertise Phase 2 of the competition will see successful investors work with Innovate UKthe ISCF to fund a broad range of SMEs working on promising projects that exploit the new generation of quantum technologies including: connectivity: techniques for securing data in storage and in flight situational awareness: this includes autonomous systems, sensors and detectors for the built environment, transport and infrastructure, and imaging and sensing to “see things currently invisible” computing: transformational computers for solving currently intractable problems Funded business projects are expected to range in size between £250,000 and £2 million. Competition information the competition opens on 19 August 2019, and the deadline for registration is at midday on 25 September 2019 it is open to equity providers holding a full UK registration at Companies House including charities and trusts with the power to make investments investors can apply for a grant allocation of between £2 million and £12 million and must demonstrate they can invest at least an equal sum into companies a briefing event takes place on 27 August 2019 Find out more about this competition and apply.

Businesses can apply for a share of up to £33 million to work with others on developing new products and services that exploit quantum technologies. Quantum physics underpins the computing, media and infrastructure systems at the heart of modern life. Now a second generation of technologies based on new quantum effects promises to deliver more secure digital communication, improved construction and radical increases in computing power. This could transform many business sectors including automotive, healthcare, infrastructure, telecommunications, cybersecurity and defence. There is up to £33 million from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund to invest in projects that aim to speed up commercialisation of these quantum technologies. Find out more about the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund Commercialising Quantum Technologies Challenge. Projects must speed up commercialisation Projects must aim to speed up commercialisation of second-generation quantum technologies and should address at least 1 of the following areas: connectivity and techniques for securing data in storage and in flight situational awareness including autonomous systems; sensors and detectors for the built environment, transport and infrastructure; imaging and sensing of things currently invisible transformational computing to solve currently unmanageable problems The competition has 2 strands: up to £27 million is available for consortia undertaking large research projects up to £6 million is available for projects with costs of less than £500,000 that can be undertaken by companies working alone or with partners Find out more about applying for funding. Competition information the competition opens on 5 August 2019, and the deadline for applications is at midday on 30 October 2019 businesses of any size may apply we expect projects to range in size between £50,000 and £10 million a briefing event takes place on 2 September 2019 Find out more about the competition for larger projects and apply. Find out more about the competition for smaller projects and apply.

UK businesses can apply for a share of up to £9 million to develop more effective and efficient treatments through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund. There is up to £9 million for businesses with ideas to develop novel digital technology solutions for healthcare challenges. Funding is provided by UK Research and Innovation and delivered by Innovate UK. Find out more about the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund . Accelerating the development of digital innovations Advancing new and novel digital technologies could significantly improve outcomes for patients, and provide cost benefits for healthcare providers. The digital health technology catalyst aims to accelerate the development of digital health innovations and grow the sector. Health-tech firm FundamentalVR has previously received funding through the catalyst. The company is leading a project to develop a VR surgical training platform for students to practice and gain confidence before operating on people. ISCF Winners. Medicines Manufacturing - FundamentalVR This competition is part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund to deliver leading-edge healthcare in the UK. This £181 million fund will transform how we develop and manufacture medicines and other healthcare products, such as digital technologies, to get the right drugs and treatments to patients when they need them. Read more about digital health and medicines manufacturing projects that have recently received funding . Improving on the current system We are looking for projects that span a variety of technologies, markets and healthcare needs and improve on the current health and care system. There are 2 competitions that businesses can apply into, depending on the stage of their project: up to £1 million for feasibility studies up to £8 million for collaborative research and development Technologies you could look at include: virtual and augmented reality artificial intelligence and machine learning the Internet of Things data analytics and security Your idea could be for use in a clinical or non-clinical setting. This could include digital technologies to: support clinical decision-making improve access to healthcare, support treatment compliance or patient-led management improve the patient experience from disease prevention through to diagnosis, treatment, recovery and long-term care overcome privacy challenges with managing, sharing and exploiting data create significant improvements in quality, speed, costs and outcomes Feasibility studies competition information the competition is open and the deadline for applications is midday on 31 October 2018 to lead a project, you’ll need to be a UK-based small or medium-sized business (SME) SMEs can work alone or collaborate with others, including businesses, NHS organisations, universities, research and technology organisations, public sector organisations or charities your project can last up to 12 months and have total costs of between £50,000 and £75,000 businesses could get up to 70% of their project costs projects must start by 1 April 2019 Find out more about this competition and apply . Collaborative research and development competition information the competition is open and the deadline for applications is midday on 31 October 2018 to lead a project, you’ll need to be a UK-based SME you will need to collaborate with others, including businesses, NHS organisations, universities, research and technology organisations, public sector organisations or charities your project can last up to 24 months and have total costs of between £300,000 and £1 million businesses could get up to 70% of their project costs applicants that meet a quality threshold will be invited to interview from 7 to 11 January 2019 projects must start by 1 April 2019 Find out more about the collaborative research and development competition and apply .

The up to £3 million competition is for UK organisations to work with partners in Africa to innovate in agriculture and food systems. UK businesses and research organisations can apply for a share of up to £3 million to develop and embed agri-tech and food chain innovations in Africa, collaborating with African countries. The funding, announced by International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt, is part of a package of support to help farmers across Africa grow their businesses and protect livestock. Funding in this Agri-tech Catalyst competition comes from the Department for International Development (DFID), with the process managed by Innovate UK. Read about how aid from DFID is supporting farmers across Africa to grow their businesses and protect livestock . The challenge in Africa Three-quarters of the poorest people in Africa (75%) live in rural areas and are reliant on agriculture and livestock for their livelihoods. Yet, while agriculture and food systems are quickly evolving, uptake of new technologies and practices is low in African countries. For example, just 28% of cultivatable land in Africa grows modern crop varieties, compared with 65% worldwide. Action is needed to ensure that Africa can adapt in order to deliver a nutritious, sustainable and secure food supply that supports a healthy population. For UK organisations, there is an opportunity to apply agri-tech skills and knowledge to a new market, further innovate and support international development. Increase pace and scale up This competition aims to increase the pace of development and scale up innovative agricultural and food systems in Africa. It is looking for projects that transform how Africa approaches existing and new technologies and embraces change. These should target farmers and others involved in the food value chain including manufacturers, processors, retailers, distributors and wholesalers. Projects can be for early-stage feasibility studies, mid-stage industrial research or late-stage experimental development. They should: be sustainable and support environmental challenges such as climate change and resource scarcity minimise negative outcomes such as pollution, food losses and waste promote safe, healthy and nutritious diets for people They could include: primary crop and livestock production, including aquaculture non-food uses of crops, for everything excluding ornamentals challenges in food processing, distribution or storage, and adding value, such as through a change in the physical state or form of the product improving the availability and accessibility of safe, healthy and nutritious foods Other factors to consider are gender equality, particularly how empowering girls and women could tackle unequal access and control of assets and improve agricultural productivity or food security. Projects should also have the potential to benefit animal welfare. Competition information the competition is open and the deadline for registrations is at midday on 21 November 2018 to lead a project in the UK, you can be a business, academic organisation, charity, public sector or research organisation. You’ll need to work with at least one partner from an eligible African country projects can be carried out in the UK or in Africa projects can last between 1 year and 3 years with total costs between £100,000 and £1 million, depending on the project type you could get up to 70% of your eligible costs projects must start by 1 April 2019 you can register to attend an online briefing webinar on 10 September 2018 to find out more about the competition and how to make a quality application Find out more about this competition and apply .

Businesses can apply for a share of £3.5 million to demonstrate new ways to reduce carbon on the railways and improve customer experiences in stations. The £3.5 million funding opportunity for businesses will encourage innovation in the UK rail sector, demonstrate new technologies to customers and industry and build better railways for everyone. Innovate UK is launching this competition on behalf of the Department for Transport (DfT) . It is being run through the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI). Find out more about SRBI and how it works . Read the initial competition announcement from the DfT . Growing demand and expectations Statistics show that the UK rail industry transported more than 1.7 billion passengers as well as millions of tonnes of freight last year. The number is likely to double within a decade. This, coupled with growing customer expectations, present a real challenge to the rail and light-rail industries. New technologies could help to meet the demand and offer more sustainable, quality services, journeys and better value to users. Greener railways and a better customer experience We are looking for well-developed innovations that are ready to be tested in an environment with railway customers and industry. The competition has 2 themes. In the first, projects should look at reducing the carbon footprint of railways across stations, rolling stock and infrastructure. Your project could focus on: building stations with a zero carbon footprint improving air quality in stations and across the network reducing noise and pollution finding alternatives to fossil fuels, batteries or dual power systems, or supporting cheaper electrification developing lightweight, energy-efficient rolling stock transferring knowledge from other sectors, such as automotive or aerospace making better use of energy generation and storage The second is inviting projects that use innovative technology to build a station of the future that improves the passenger experience. This could include: offering a seamless end-to-end journey supporting accessibility for all passengers developing ticketless gate lines and barrier-free access developing virtual assistant technology providing reliable, consistent information during disruption and delays Addressing the big 4 Funding is for integration and direct testing with users. Your project should gather feedback, show how it would benefit passengers and demonstrate a significant change for the rail industry. It must also look at: reducing costs by 50% or more doubling capacity halving carbon emissions improving the experiences of customers Competition information the competition opens on 8 October 2018 and the deadline for registration is midday on 21 November 2018 it is open to organisations of all sizes and sectors we expect to fund up to 12 projects with total costs of between £250,000 and £350,000, including VAT projects will be 100% funded briefing events will be held on 9 October 2018 in York , 11 October in London as well as an online webinar projects must start by 1 March 2019 and can last up to 9 months Find out more about this competition and apply .

DASA has launched a competition seeking innovative technologies and approaches that help to reduce knife crime. DASA is interested in innovative technologies and approaches for the identification of people carrying steel-bladed knives. This is with a view to developing deployable solutions to aid the UK Police and security organisations. Total funding of up to £500k is available in Phase 1 of this competition for research projects of up to 6 months in duration. Additional funding is anticipated to be available for future phases of this competition. The closing date for this competition is midday on 21 November 2018 Queries should be sent to accelerator@dstl.gov.uk

UK businesses can apply for a share of up to £5 million to develop new digital health products through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund. Advancing new and novel digital technologies can significantly improve outcomes for patients and reduce costs for healthcare providers. Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation , has up to £5 million to invest in projects through the digital health technology catalyst – a programme that aims to accelerate the development of digital health innovations. The competition is part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund to deliver leading-edge healthcare in the UK. This £181 million fund will transform how we develop and manufacture medicines and other healthcare products, such as digital technologies, to get the right drugs and treatments to patients when they need them. Find out more about the leading-edge healthcare challenge . Using real-world data This competition is supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which will provide successful projects with its real-world data advisory services, DataLab. DataLab aims to connect expertise across the NHS and academia through the institute’s data research. It is a collaboration between NICE, the University of Manchester and Health Innovation Manchester. Successful applicants in the competition will be able to work with DataLab to get advice and consultancy across 4 main areas: the application and use of real-world data ensuring health data is secure how to evaluate digital health interventions additional scientific advice from NICE, and how to demonstrate the value of a project to the UK and international health systems Advancing health care through digital solutions Previous digital health technology catalyst winners include Neurofenix , whose tool helps patients that have had a stroke to recover. Neurofenix video Read more about digital health and medicines manufacturing projects that have recently received funding . Better healthcare solutions The competition is for collaborative research and development projects that span a variety of technologies, markets and healthcare needs and demonstrate the potential for significant innovation. Projects must do one or more of the following: improve health and wellbeing transform care to improve quality control costs and enable change Technologies could include: virtual and augmented reality artificial intelligence and machine learning the Internet of Things data analytics and security Ideas could be for use in a clinical or non-clinical setting. This could include digital technologies to: support clinical decision-making improve access to healthcare, support treatment compliance or patient-led management improve the patient experience from disease prevention through to diagnosis, treatment, recovery and long-term care overcome privacy challenges with managing, sharing and exploiting data create significant improvements in quality, speed, costs and outcomes Competition information the competition opens on 11 February 2019, and the deadline for applications is midday on 10 April 2019 to lead a project, you’ll need to be a UK-based small or medium-sized business (SME) SMEs can work alone or collaborate with others, including other businesses, NHS organisations, universities, research and technology organisations, public sector organisations or charities total costs can be between £300,000 and £1 million businesses could get up to 70% of their project costs projects can last up to 18 months. They must start by 1 October 2019 and must be completed by 1 March 2021 Find out more about this competition and apply

Up to £6 million funding to support new ideas that can help keep connected devices and applications safe and secure. Connected devices and sensors in our homes and workplaces – known as the Internet of Things (IoT) – offer huge potential for improving how we live and move around. We can measure health data, travel habits and energy use, predict demand for public services and support planning and management of critical national infrastructure. But as more devices become connected, the more vulnerable they are to sophisticated cyber security threats. This becomes even more important as critical applications for the IoT emerge. Innovate UK has up to £6 million to invest in organisations with ideas that address industry-focused cyber security-related challenges. The investment forms part of the UK Research and Innovation Strategic Priorities Fund, which supports the highest priorities identified by researchers and businesses. Find out more about the Strategic Priorities Fund . It is part of a set of measures by UK government to build increased security and protections into digital devices and online services. As well as this programme, this includes an up to £70 million investment through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund to tackle digital security by design. Read the announcement . More resilient, intelligent systems The competition aims to join up the UK’s research base with industry to transfer knowledge and develop new products and services that tackle cyber security in the IoT. Projects should include artificial intelligence or machine learning and have a clear plan for commercialisation. They should focus on at least 1 of the following: operational resilience technologies that can protect and recover data intelligent control systems for industry, commercial and public sector buildings protection of people living in digital homes and their smart systems Projects could also look at complementary technologies, such as distributed ledger technologies that support the sharing of data across multiple locations, or 5G mobile networks. Competition information the competition opens on 18 February 2019 and the deadline for applications is at midday on 1 May 2019 UK-based businesses of any size can lead a project, working with other businesses, research organisations, public sector organisations or charities. Collaborations should involve at least one academic partner and one small or medium-sized enterprise businesses could receive up to 70% of their project costs total eligible project costs can be between £2.5 million and £4 million projects must start by 1 December 2019 and can last between 18 and 24 months projects that pass the written application stage will be invited to an interview panel between 1 and 5 July 2019 to present their ideas Find out more about this competition and apply .