High Altitude Intelligence - Cross Sector Innovation Challenge

Up to £4 million for innovative prototype projects to support High Altitude Pseudo Satellites platform development

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is working with the Defence Innovation Unit, Stratcom and UK Maritime Security Centre to invest up to £4 million in innovation projects.

The aim of this competition is to develop prototype dual use and multi-mission payloads and solutions for data processing, evaluation and dissemination (PED). This is to complement ongoing High Altitude Pseudo Satellites (HAPS) platform development by addressing priority needs and challenges within sensing, datalinks and PED.

Your proposal must show utility in the context of Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) or Maritime Security missions and be compatible with at least one model of stratospheric platform.

Your project must:

• propose versatile, multi-mission solutions which tackle multiple challenge topics and consider the wider system-of-systems
• adhere to payload limits, platform interface requirements, as well as environmental and thermal requirements
• conduct ground based testing to demonstrate theoretical compliance with the challenge statements and readiness for experimental flight-testing

Your project can:

• propose holistic solutions which consider multiple challenge topics, eg a solution comprising sensors, a suitable datalink, and associated processing technology
• consider HAPS as part of a wider system-of-systems, eg connectivity to other HAPS platforms to deliver a greater overall effect, or the use of a high-bandwidth satellite connection to extend reach

Find out more about this competition and how to apply.

First published 1 August 2022