IUK Announces Electronics, Sensors and Photonics for Robotics in Extreme Environments Competition

Innovate UK (IUK) has announced a new competition to support businesses developing reliable electronics, sensors and photonics (ESP) devices for robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) systems. The competition is supported through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF). The vison for the ISCF Robotics and AI for Extreme and Challenging Environments Challenge is to:

develop robotic solutions to make a safer working environment in industries such as offshore energy, nuclear energy, space and deep mining;

increase productivity; and

open up new cross-disciplinary opportunities.

The aim is to encourage R&D investment in ESP-enabled robotics capabilities made in the UK. Solutions must be capable of surviving and operating in extreme and challenging environments. Extreme environments can include, but are not limited to, offshore and nuclear energy, space and deep mining. ESP technologies and innovations include, but are not limited to, sensing and actuation, on-board electronics, radio frequency (RF) electronics, power supplies, control systems and task-oriented payloads.

IUK has allocated up to £2 million to fund feasibility, industrial research and experimental development projects in this competition. Feasibility studies projects’ total eligible costs must be between £25,000 and £100,000. Collaborative R&D projects’ total eligible costs must be between £50,000 and £250,000.

To lead a project the applicant must be a UK-based small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) for feasibility studies; or a UK-based business of any size for collaborative research and development (R&D). The lead applicant and collaborators (businesses, research organisations, public sector organisations or charities) must carry out all project work in the UK and intend to exploit the results from or in the UK.

The competition opens on Monday 11 March 2019 with a deadline for applications of Wednesday 8 May 2019.

More information about this research funding opportunity and the application process is available on the RESEARCHconnect funding information platform. RESEARCHconnect provides up-to-the minute content, insight and analysis on research funding news and policy. To find out more about how RESEARCHconnect can keep you in the know, and subscription fees, contact us today.