Allied Defence Accelerator picks 15 ideas for next stage
UK-US initiative aims to create new methods for international procurement
The Starburst aerospace and defence accelerator on 27 October announced the finalists in the initial Allied Defence Accelerator programme for space technology innovations.
A total of 15 startups will present their solutions to military end-users in the International Space Pitch Day at the Defence Space Conference 2020 on 17-18 November, with government funding as the prize on offer.
‘This initiative will carve a new path for international defence procurement,’ claimed Vandad Espahbodi, co-founder of Starburst Accelerator. "The US and UK are setting a precedent for allied cooperation in unprecedented and inventive ways.’
Among the selected finalists are a consortium of L3Harris, NORSS and Intelligence Fusion (United Kingdom), with a blockchain platform for space domain awareness; Rocket Communications (US), with a 4D visualization solution for space awareness, communication, and manoeuvre evaluation; Swim.ai (US) with a real-time orbital situational awareness platform; and NorthStar Earth & Space (Canada), with a space domain awareness warfighter training simulator.
The Allied Defence Accelerator involves NATO and multiple agencies in the UK (RAF, Strategic Command and Dstl) and US (USAF, Space Force, Air Force Research Laboratory).
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