FutureFlight
UK's Future Flight Challenge Prepares for Second Phase in April 2020
The Future Flight Challenge will be backed by around $385 million in government and industry funding.
autonomous aircraft
The UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Flight Challenge hopes to stimulate collaborative work to develop and support electric and autonomous aircraft. (Rendering: Lee Rosario)

Up to 200 companies are expected to participate in the first phase of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Flight Challenge, which gets underway in early 2020. The program, which is backed by around $160 million in UK government funding, is intended to stimulate collaborative work to develop and support electric and autonomous aircraft.

Submissions to participate in the first phase closed on November 13 and companies will be invited to attend workshops on February 4 and 5, 2020. During these meetings, consortia will be formed from companies involved in complementary areas of work and the scope of the challenge will be refined for the second phase beginning in April.