The UK government's Technology Strategy Board and Ministry of Defence is to fund for three years at a cost of £2.4 million ($4.8 million) an aerospace and defence Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) that will promote innovation and collaboration across industry, government and academia, to implement the country's national aerospace technology strategy (NATS).
The Society of British Aerospace Companies has been chosen by the Board and MoD to manage the KTN, which will link technical experts and other interested parties to improve the UK's innovation performance by increasing and accelerating technology transfer into UK-based businesses.
The aerospace and defence KTN's stated priorities are: to make the UK "a more globally competitive environment" for investment in aerospace and defence research and technology to facilitate innovation and knowledge transfer across the civil and defence sectors and closer collaboration between academia, industry and the UK Ministry of Defence and deliver improved industrial performance through collaboration and better co-ordination of resources for the delivery of the NATS.
SBAC chief executive Ian Godden says: "A strong and successful KTN will help industry maximise its competitiveness by promoting collaboration and innovation around the themes and priorities in the national aerospace technology strategy and defence technology strategy."
Located at SBAC's offices, the KTN started work last December and will be recruiting a dedicated team to run it and support the implementation of the NATS.
Source: FlightGlobal.com