IDEAS programme to boost digital automotive innovation

The Hartree Centre and Institute of Digital Engineering (IDE) have launched a call for projects that will help automotive companies to access and adopt advanced digital technologies.

IDEAS Programme banner, including the text driving digital automotive innovations, and the logos of Hartree Centre, IBM and IDE

​The Innovation in Digital Engineering – Automotive Sector (IDEAS) Programme offers access to the latest technologies and expertise in data science, modelling and simulation and AI powered by the leading-edge high performance computing facilities and platforms. IDEAS aims to fast track the development of new digital capabilities, boosting productivity, growth and global competitiveness of the UK automotive sector.  ​

From start-ups to large corporates, IDEAS aims to help businesses to overcome product, manufacturing, or process performance issues by leveraging the recent £230 million investment in the Hartree National Centre for Digital Innovation (HNCDI) and is guided by the Institute of Digital Engineering’s (IDE) recently published Digitalisation Roadmap​, with an emphasis on the Digital Engineering Environment Theme. ​

Working closely with the STFC Hartree Centre, IBM and IDE research and innovation experts, companies can develop projects that address specific innovation challenges to accelerate productivity. 

What’s in it for me? 

Companies who take part in IDEAS will get access to the following benefits: 

  • In-kind funding for projects aiming to solve product, manufacturing or process issues. 
  • The ability to collaborate with the STFC Hartree Centre and IBM Research – home to world-leading science facilities and knowledge, supported by the sector knowledge embedded in IDE.  
  • De-risking innovation by providing access to a supportive environment and the ability to test new digital engineering concepts.
  • A pipeline to the development of adoptable methods supported by government investment. 

Delivering expertise 

IDEAS offers a pathway to overcome business challenges by providing access to facilities and world-leading expertise in: 

  • Data
  • Modelling & simulation
  • Augmented intelligence
  • Optimisation
  • Visualisation & immersive
  • Interoperability
  • Digital twins

Key Dates

​1 Feb 2022 – 28 Feb​ 2022 | Submissions open

3 Feb 2022 | Q&A Webinar

1 June 2022 – 1 Sept 2022 | Projects anticipated to commence

​31 May 2023​ | Projects must end by​​

Eligibility

 To be eligible for participation to the submission and project delivery phases, your organisation must:​ 

  • Be a UK based business of any size registered at Companies House; 
  • Have an engineering or manufacturing base for the relevant product in the UK, or provide the relevant product or service from or in the UK;  
  • If “in kind contribution” is provided, carry out its project work in the UK; 
  • Intend to exploit the results from or in the UK; 
  • Start the project in the window between 1 June 2022 to 1 Sept 2022 
  • End the project by 31 May 2023​

Join Newsletter

Provide your details to receive regular updates from the STFC Hartree Centre.