EVENTS

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, aviation and advanced manufacturing cluster, with strong capabilities in 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, in partnership with IAAPS, this in-person workshop will bring together regional stakeholders to identify collaboration opportunities, address capability gaps, and define practical next steps through professionally facilitated sessions. We are also looking to build collaborative partnerships for upcoming funding streams.

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 to develop draft project concepts for potential CR&D funding applications.  To finish off the day, attendees will have the opportunity to tour the IAAPS facility.

Key themes include:

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

Meet the Facilitator

Dr Chris Russell, Resilient Leaders Consultant, Resilient Leaders Elements

Chris takes his experience as a researcher into Higher Education Institutions around the world, delivering innovative training courses that are practical, purposeful and playful. He supports researchers from all fields to improve their projects, foster their creativity, and make their research meaningful. He relishes the innovation and leadership on offer in research and seeks to inspire those he works with to flourish as they shape the world, both inside and outside academia.

Chris’s training and development business is based in Exeter, specialising in leadership and helping people navigate the boundaries of multidisciplinary and cross-sector research. As a former scientist using light to diagnose early-stage cancer, Chris worked for a small charity and collaborated across various university departments and the NHS, before moving into training and development in 2007.

Chris’s current role has seen him working with universities all across the UK and in 12 different countries globally. Still a scientist at heart, he describes himself as a people-focused physicist who loves analysis and building collaborative communities based on compassion, care and creativity.

Meet the Speakers

Monty Foley-Williamson, Commercial Manager, Protium

Monty has worked in the industrial gases industry for 6 years, across H2, Air Gases and Co2, joining Protium in the summer of last year as Commercial Manager. They are focusing on the Off-Grid Power, Mobility and Industrial markets, supporting productivity, decarbonisation and supply chain resilience objectives.  Across their network of production facilities, distribution hubs and Hydrogen Allocation Round shortlisted projects, they are driving supply-side investment into Green Hydrogen today and making adopting Green Hydrogen simple for their customers.

Dr Yuying Xia, Associate Professor in Aerospace Engineering, Swansea University

Dr Yuying Xia’s research focuses on advanced modelling and simulation techniques for aerospace systems, with expertise spanning multi-physics analysis, dynamics and control, smart materials and structures, uncertainty in engineering, and digital engineering methodologies. She has led and contributed to a range of collaborative research projects with industrial and academic partners in aerospace, renewable energy, and civil engineering sectors. Her current research interests include sustainable aviation, AI-enabled engineering design, and digital twins for complex engineering systems.

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

10:40 – 10:55 Talk 1: ‘Parameter Estimation or Curve Fitting? Enabling Reliable Digital Twins for Aerospace’

Research and innovation priorities in clean aviation with Dr Tom Fletcher, Lecturer in Electrified Automotive Propulsions Systems, University of Bath & IAAPS.

10:55 – 11:10 Talk 2: ‘Research and innovation support on aviation projects’

Emerging technologies and regional capabilities with Dr Tom Fletcher, Lecturer in Electrified Automotive Propulsions Systems, University of Bath & IAAPS, and Dr Ryan Nicholls, Business Development Manager, IAAPS.

11:10 – 11:25 Talk 3: ‘Multi-Physics Modelling and Digital Twins of Liquid Hydrogen Systems for Sustainable Aviation Design’

Industry challenges and opportunities in low-carbon aviation with Dr Yuying Xia, Senior Lecturer in Aerospace Engineering, Swansea University.

11:25 – 11:40 Talk 4: ‘Supply-chain: Green Hydrogen Made Simple’

Supply-chain readiness and innovation needs with Monty Foley-Williams, Commercial Manager, Protium.

11:40 – 11:50 Break

11:50 – 12:45 Facilitated Session 1: Ideation and Opportunity Identification
Group discussion and collaborative idea generation

• Identify regional strengths and capability gaps
• Explore collaboration opportunities
• Generate initial project concepts

12:45 – 13:30 Lunch and Networking

13:30 – 14:20 Facilitated Session 2: Proposal Development and Planning
Group working session

• Refine project concepts
• Identify partners and roles
• Consider funding pathways and next steps

14:20 – 14:50 Group Presentations and Discussion

• Summary of proposed ideas and collaboration opportunities

14:50 – 15:00 Next Steps and AOB – Dr Zakir Hossain, Sustainable Technologies Sector Manager and Karina Moore, Senior Programme Manager, SETsquared & GW-SHIFT.

15:00 Closing comments and optional tour of the IAAPS Facility

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.