The transition to clean aviation and sustainable aerospace is essential to achieving the UK’s net-zero ambitions while supporting regional economic growth and long-term competitiveness.
South West England and South Wales are home to a major aerospace and advanced manufacturing cluster, with strong capabilities in advanced manufacturing, materials, propulsion systems, and emerging hydrogen technologies. These strengths position the regions to play a leading role in the development and deployment of low-carbon aviation solutions.
As part of SETsquared CR&D support activities, this workshop will bring together regional stakeholders to identify collaboration opportunities, address capability gaps, and define practical next steps through professionally facilitated sessions.
The workshop will begin with four short presentations – two from industry outlining current challenges and two from academia showcasing relevant expertise and facilities to address those challenges. Facilitated group sessions will then focus on ideation, brainstorming, and early-stage project planning, with the aim of developing draft project concepts for potential CR&D funding applications.
What the day will cover
The workshop will explore key themes shaping the future of hydrogen in clean aviation and aerospace, including:
Supply-chain readiness and advanced manufacturing capabilities
Research translation and emerging hydrogen innovations in sustainable aviation and aerospace
Ideation support and proposal development
Regional strengths, capability gaps, and pathways to Net Zero in the aviation and aerospace sectors
Collaboration opportunities across industry, academia, and the public sector
Lunch, refreshments, and informal networking throughout the day
Agenda
10:00 – 10:30 Arrival and Welcome Refreshments
10:30 – 10:40 GW-SHIFT Introduction and Workshop Overview
10:40-11:40 Academic and Industry talks
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Research and innovation priorities in clean aviation
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Emerging technologies and regional capabilities
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Industry challenges and opportunities in low-carbon aviation
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Supply-chain readiness and innovation needs
11:40 – 12:45 Facilitated Session 1: Ideation and Opportunity Identification
Group discussion and collaborative idea generation
12:45 – 13:30 Lunch and Networking
13:30 – 14:20 Facilitated Session 2: Proposal Development and Planning
Group working session
14:20 – 14:50 Group Presentations and Discussion
14:50 – 15:00 Next Steps and AOB
Who should attend?
This event is designed for:
Aviation and Aerospace manufacturers and supply chain SMEs
Clean propulsion, hydrogen, and advanced manufacturing companies
Universities and research organisations in aviation, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing companies
Local and regional authorities, skills bodies, and Net Zero stakeholders
Whether you are looking to forge cross-sector partnerships, present your research capabilities, or better understand the role of hydrogen in the transition to clean aviation and aerospace, this workshop offers a unique opportunity to connect with industry, academia, and public sector stakeholders from across the South West and South Wales region.