The CAELUS project – a group of partners led by AGS Airports – will deliver critical medical supplies to remote UK communities by using drone technology, after securing £10.1 million in funding.
The funding comes from the Future Flight Challenge, which is an investment programme led by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), an organisation that has so far committed £125 million to the next wave of aviation technology.
With the £10.1 million investment, CAELUS (Care & Equity – Healthcare Logistics UAS Scotland) will establish a national drone delivery network that will transport medicine, blood and other medical supplies throughout Scotland. Especially in remote communities that are in desperate need of healthcare services.
The partners involved in the CAELUS project include:
- AGS Airports (Glasgow and Aberdeen)
- National Air Traffic Services (NATS)
- NHS Scotland
- The University of Strathclyde
They join DRONAMICS - a leading middle-mile cargo drone developer and operator.
As quoted in Air Traffic Management, Svilen Rangelov, CEO and Co-founder of DRONAMICS said: “This is an excellent opportunity for us to kick off operations in the UK by leveraging our authorisation experience in the EU with EASA. The flight trials for NHS Scotland would also validate our ongoing product development towards delivering medical goods.”
Fiona Smith, AGS Airports Group Head of Aerodrome Strategy and CAELUS Project Director, stated: “The CAELUS project is set to revolutionise how healthcare services are delivered in Scotland. A drone network can ensure critical medical supplies can be delivered more efficiently, it can reduce waiting times for test results and, more importantly, it can provide equity of care between urban and remote rural communities.”
As the first project of its kind, if successful, drones will likely change the way in which people receive medical supplies throughout the rest of the country.
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