Somerset Council worked with the Connected Places Catapult Innovation Procurement Empowerment Centre (IPEC) last Summer to address a challenge around asset management and environmental monitoring. Through the programme, the council successfully procured drone technology to support coastal erosion monitoring and improve flood resilience planning.
The case study demonstrates how innovative procurement can help local authorities access new technologies, address complex place-based challenges and deliver better outcomes for residents.
SWFFIZ / Somerset Council commissioned the University of Plymouth to create a Technology Adoption Roadmap exploring how emerging technologies (in drones tech and satellite applications) can help farmers and land managers across Somerset and Devon address real-world challenges, improve productivity and support environmental outcomes.
This SWFFIZ pilot explored how drones, digital asset management platforms and data analytics can help public sector organisations and housing providers inspect, monitor and manage property assets more efficiently.
A new report has identified the skills, training and talent pipeline needed to support the growth of the aerospace, aviation and advanced Future Flight technologies sector across Somerset and Devon.
Project RESCUE (funded via the Innovate UK Future Flight Programme) explored how drone technology can strengthen Somerset’s response to flooding and other environmental emergencies by providing faster, safer and more accurate intelligence before, during and after an incident. The project brings together public sector partners, emergency responders and industry to develop a sustainable drone-enabled resilience service for Somerset.
Future Air SW brings together regional partners to unlock new zero‑carbon air mobility and aviation services across the South West, driving economic growth and connectivity. Supported by the Innovate UK Future Flight programme, it is laying the foundations for sustainable, future‑ready aviation ecosystems.
