Some of the biggest names in aviation have joined forces to explore how embracing the connected and automated technology solutions of tomorrow could transform the civil aviation industry in the UK and beyond.
International Airlines Group (IAG), Heathrow Airport, Aer Lingus, and Fusion Processing are among the founding members of the Airside Automation Group, which aims to foster greater collaboration between the UK’s civil aviation and connected and automated mobility (CAM) industries.
The group has been founded by Zenzic – an organization set up by industry and the UK government to champion and grow the nation’s CAM sector. The UK is fast becoming recognized as a world leader in the development and implementation of CAM solutions for the aviation sector, with industry pioneers such as Aurrigo and Oxa already deploying vehicles and technology in airports around the world.
Aurrigo, headquartered in Coventry in the UK, recently trialled a fleet of its automated baggage handling vehicles at Singapore’s Changi Airport and has seen its Auto-Dolly Tug and Auto-Sim solutions recommended to a network of 60 airports following a successful trial at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport.
University of Oxford spin-out Oxa is another success story. Working with global logistics giant DHL, the company is actively exploring how embracing autonomous vehicles can help improve airport logistics and efficiency for airports the world over, with trials of its technology solutions currently underway at Heathrow Airport.
Fusion Processing is another UK-based technology company that is leading the way in the rollout of CAM technologies in airports. Through a partnership with Construct Invest, it is applying years of experience developing autonomous technologies for passenger transit, to deploy airport bus services.
The Airside Automation Group has been set up to help create and promote further success stories, by bringing together organizations from across an array of sectors to promote the many benefits of embracing CAM solutions and provide a compelling investment proposition for the UK.
It also aims to showcase opportunities and anticipate risks in making the UK an attractive place for research, and to support the development of more resilient, competitive supply chains to help unlock innovation across the industry.
“I am proud to chair the newly established Airside Automation Group and to see Aurrigo among its founding members,” said Andrew Cornish, non-executive chair at Aurrigo. “For more than a decade, we have been pioneering autonomous aviation solutions made in Coventry and deployed in airports from Singapore to Amsterdam and Cincinnati. That global experience gives us a unique opportunity to bring real-world insights back into this UK-led collaboration. The group provides a vital platform for industry and innovators to come together, share learning and accelerate the development of the next generation of connected and automated solutions. By working collectively, we can ensure the UK remains at the forefront of this global transformation, delivering world-class technology, stronger supply chains and long-term economic growth.”
“The CAM sector contributes billions of pounds to the UK economy annually, and with the government harboring ambitions to increase this to over £42bn [US$56.5bn] by 2035, we see further growth in the aviation market as being key to realizing this potential,” said Mark Cracknell, program director at Zenzic. “British businesses are already developing world-leading solutions that are being exported and deployed across the globe, and establishing the Airside Automation Group will help us build further on this success by increasing collaboration, amplifying the fantastic work coming out of the group and supporting the aviation industry as it aims to understand how CAM can help meet upcoming challenges and grasp lucrative growth opportunities.”
The organizations making up the Airside Automation Group are Aer Lingus, Equinix, The Civil Aviation Authority, Heathrow Airport, International Airlines Group, Aurrigo, Oxa, Fusion Processing, Highlands and Islands Airports, Menzies, Swissport, UPS and Zenzic.
In related news, Aurrigo has secured £1m (US$1.35m) support from the Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) Pathfinder – Enhancements program and Innovate UK’s Launchpad program to start work on four new projects