The MAA is taking part in a pioneering new Coventry-based project
Midlands Aerospace Alliance is taking part in a pioneering new Coventry-based project that is building the foundation for drone and air taxi services across UK.
Urban Ascent brings together leading organisations across technology, research, and local government to prepare Coventry for a future of safe, sustainable aerial drone mobility. The aim is to develop a city-scale blueprint for integrating drones and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft into urban environments.
Rather than live trials, Urban Ascent focuses on designing essential frameworks that will make urban drone operations possible including building a business case for urban air mobility and exploring regulatory and infrastructure readiness, including vertiport planning.
In real life this means assessing how drones could enhance services in areas such as:
- Medical logistics
- Emergency response
- Infrastructure inspection
- Urban air taxi preparation
Councillor Jim O’Boyle cabinet member for jobs, regeneration and climate change said, “Coventry is already leading the way when it comes to drones and their future use in all sorts of areas. This project will see us take the next step in aligning technology with public needs. Here we are talking about things like drones being used to fly urgent medical supplies between hospitals, being used to inspect bridges and roads and even using them to enable an overview of things like road accidents and road congestion. We’re proud to help shape the next chapter of UK aviation from the heart of Coventry.”
The work is funded by Innovate UK and the Department for Transport through the Future Flight Regional Demonstrator programme. Led by Coventry City Council, the consortium includes Skyfarer Ltd, Coventry University, the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), SLiNK-TECH, and Odys Aviation. The consortium is supported by the Midlands Aerospace Alliance, building on insights from the earlier Drone Ready Cities initiative funded by the Regional Pioneers Fund.
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