NATS-backed drone distribution consortium wins high Scottish Transport Award – sUAS Information – The Enterprise of Drones

Challenge CAELUS, the venture to ship what would be the UK’s first medical distribution community utilizing drones, gained the Excellence in Know-how and Innovation award at this 12 months’s Scottish Transport Awards ceremony in Glasgow.

CAELUS (Care & Fairness – Healthcare Logistics UAS Scotland), which brings collectively 16 companions together with NATS, AGS Airports, the College of Strathclyde and NHS Scotland, secured £10.1 million funding from the Future Flight Problem at UK Analysis and Innovation (UKRI).

In profitable the award, Challenge CAELUS consortia members had been praised by Scottish Transport Award judges for his or her innovation throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fiona Smith, AGS Airports Group Head of Aerodrome Technique and CAELUS Challenge Director, stated: “We had been delighted after we heard we had been shortlisted within the Scottish Transport Awards earlier this 12 months so to win is a incredible achievement.

“The CAELUS venture is ready to revolutionise the best way by which healthcare companies are delivered in Scotland. A drones community can guarantee essential medical provides may be delivered extra effectively, it might scale back ready occasions for take a look at outcomes and, extra importantly, it might present fairness of care between city and distant rural communities.

“This award is testomony to the arduous work by all of the companions concerned on this consortium and I thank all of them as we proceed onto the subsequent part of labor.”

Tharaka Kothalawala, NATS lead for the Future Flight Problem, stated: “We’re excited to be main the airspace administration work of Challenge CAELUS, which can ship the primary nationwide drone community to move important medical provides all through Scotland – an instance of how uncrewed aviation can assist the NHS and actually make a distinction. 

“We’ll be growing the ideas for the way airspace might be managed, and the procedures required to securely combine a community of a number of drones with current flight operations, after which placing these ideas to the take a look at in a dwell trial with our consortium companions.  

Properly performed to all of the consortium companions concerned for his or her arduous work throughout the venture to this point, and their continued dedication to creating CAELUS successful.  It is a ground-breaking venture that can form the best way our skies are used sooner or later, and we’re delighted to be part of it.”

Minister for Transport Jenny Gilruth MSP and Scottish Transport Awards host Grant Scott welcomed 450 business professionals to the Glasgow occasion final evening<29 September> to have a good time the individuals and organisations that make an actual distinction to move throughout Scotland.