R&D grant brings Delkia idea to life

High-performing controls specialist Delkia has secured a five-figure grant to bring its latest innovation to the proof of concept stage.

The company which is based in Whitehaven, Egremont and Preston, operates in highly regulated sectors including nuclear, aerospace and maritime.

Project Bumblebee, at a total cost of £99,775, is its first research and development project. It is focused on developing a technology that will allow the rapid development of safe, vehicle control systems for submarines, ships, aircraft and other complex defence and commercial systems.

A grant of £49,887 was made available by Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership’s Innovating for Success scheme.

Pete Hudson, Delkia's research and development manager, said: “We used the investment to take Bumblebee to a proof-of-concept demonstrator, using a remote-controlled submarine. The Cumbria LEP grant has helped us to establish the Bumblebee team and to buy essential computing and equipment.

“The project provided a stipend to a Masters student from the Lancaster University School of Data Science and provided a summer placement for an aerospace engineering graduate from the University of Central Lancashire. Bumblebee also saw us fund a project with the National Innovation Centre for Data at Newcastle University to help us embed data science skills into our business.

Pete added: “Project Bumblebee, has allowed us to turn an innovative idea into intellectual property and add value to our rapidly growing company.”

Jo Lappin, chief executive of the Cumbria LEP, said: “It is great to see the  difference that the Innovating for Success grant programme has made to Delkia’s project Bumblebee. This is an excellent example of why we launched Innovating for Success. It was to encourage small and medium sized businesses across Cumbria to invest in either innovating or decarbonising their business.

She added: ”It is clear that there are market opportunities available for this product, which could be important to the defence industry and its supply chain."