b'14 Partner News Winter 2021AcademicA new facility at Cranfield University isand airport infrastructure that will help set to make the UK a global leader inthe UK reach its target of net zero carbon digital aviation research. Sitting at its coreemissions and support industry to bounce is collaboration between academia andback stronger from COVID-19.industry.Collaboration was also a key theme at The 67m Digital Aviation Research andDARTeCs first Digital Aviation Conference, Technology Centre (DARTeC) was officiallyattended by over a thousand people earlier opened in July 2021 by Business Secretarythis year and organised to bring the digital Kwasi Kwarteng. aviation community together and address industry challenges.DARTeC aims to address some of the main research challenges facing the aviationCollaborative working is fundamental in industry, including: tackling the huge challenge of enabling the future airspace ecosystem, where both the integration of drones into civiliancrewed and uncrewed aircraft will seamlessly airspace and safely share all environments, said Dr increasing the efficiency of airportsDimitrios Panagiotakopoulos, Senior Lecturer through technological advances in Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic creating safe, secure shared airspaceManagement at Cranfield. That goes from through secure data communicationdesigning scalable ground infrastructure to infrastructures intelligent air traffic management systems increasing the reliability and availability ofand new aerial systems leveraging full aircraft utilising self-sensing/aware andautomation and autonomy.Collaborationself-healing/repair technologies. A win-win for industry and academiaThe world-leading facility is located nextCranfield is working with a range of industry is key toto Cranfields airport and consists of apartners and organisations at DARTeC. central building with digital aviation researchConsortium partners encompass Aveillant, laboratories and collaborative open planBlue Bear Systems Research, Boeing, addressingoffice space where staff, students andBOXARR, Connected Places Catapult, partners work together, and a partiallyCranfield University, Etihad Airways, covered hangar laboratory connected toHeathrow, Inmarsat, the International Air the challengesCranfields 737-400 aircraft through anTransport Association (IATA), the IVHM airport-style air bridge. Centre, Saab, Satellite Applications Catapult, Spirent Communications and Thales, with co-of futureResearchers at DARTeC are already workinginvestment support from Research England.with industry partners to advance the application of digital technologies in the airCollaborative working at DARTeC is a win-aviation transport sector. Projects are underway towin situation for both industry and academia drive forward innovations in digital airspacewith many mutual benefits, said Dr Saba'