A lofty partnership for brainstorming technology in the aviation industry has been launched for the South West – and net-zero flight is in its sight lines.

With Gloucestershire already a key stakeholder in green flight tech, thanks to such pioneers in green flight as Kemble-based ZeroAvia working alongside Dowty, Safran and Moog, the pact will focus on "delivering transformational innovation to advance net zero flight".

Founding partners are the National Composites Centre (NCC), advanced propulsion R&I centre IAAPS, and the Universities of Bristol and Bath and the partnership aims to create a national capability that far exceeds various parties working independently.

Richard Oldfield, chief executive of the National Composites Centre, said: "Combining our respective strengths and expertise will catalyse transformative change for net zero aviation in the South West. As a collaboration, our commitment to decarbonising aviation will unlock the full potential of hydrogen-powered aircraft and cutting-edge propulsion systems, enabling industry to accelerate engineering expertise, and secure future UK commercial competitiveness. Together, as pioneers in our fields, we are excited to lead the way."

The South West is already home to a globally significant aerospace and advanced engineering cluster worth over £7bn. Leveraging over £250m of investment that partners have already secured to underpin technology, infrastructure, and innovation capabilities, the partnership will further embed the region's research and innovation leadership in the decarbonisation of aviation.

A spokesman for the scheme said: "Consultation with industry leading organisations has identified a set of pre-competitive challenge areas that will underpin technology exploration. These range from new cryogenic suitable materials, their characterisation and industrial application, through to the design, manufacture, and testing of sub-systems.

"These will form the basis of Joint Industry Programmes to be announced later this year. Together these will help establish a strong H2 supply chain as the Government implements its UK Hydrogen Strategy to kick-start a vibrant hydrogen economy by 2030, and unlock wider opportunities across energy, nuclear, space, and defence industries."

Richard Oldfield, chief executive, National Composites Centre, added: "Combining our respective strengths and expertise will catalyse transformative change for net zero aviation in the South West. As a collaboration, our commitment to decarbonising aviation will unlock the full potential of hydrogen-powered aircraft and cutting-edge propulsion systems, enabling industry to accelerate engineering expertise, and secure future UK commercial competitiveness. Together, as pioneers in our fields, we are excited to lead the way."