Guidance

Open Call Innovation Focus Areas

Updated 6 June 2019

Introduction

The Open Call welcomes a wide range of innovative ideas to solve problems faced by our defence and security customers. Whilst the Open Call will always welcome the full range of ideas and innovations, DASA is keen to share details from stakeholders across Government on more specific areas of interest where innovative proposals would be particularly welcome.

How it works

This web page provides information on particular and enduring innovation focus areas, which are specific topics where our customers would be keen to see innovative solutions channelled via the Open Call. Proposals which address these areas of interest can be submitted into either of the Open Call.

This site will be changed as new innovation focus areas are added, or old ones deleted or amended, in response to the evolving needs of our defence and security stakeholders. It is therefore recommended that you set up an alert for this page so you are aware of when such changes are made.

Each innovation focus area has a unique identifier to help us ensure that your innovation is seen by the appropriate parts of Government. Therefore, if you submit a proposal in response to one of these focus areas you should add the identifier to the beginning of your proposal title. For example: IFA001 - A Novel Idea for Finding Suspicious Items on Airline Passengers.

Innovation focus areas for defence

Developing novel radar concepts and technologies

Unique Identifier IFA008

MOD relies on radar capabilities to provide situational awareness and intelligence, to find and identify its adversaries and target the delivery of its own effects to gain operational advantage. Specific challenges include: the increasing congestion of the Radio Frequency (RF) environment and proliferation of advanced jammer technology; detecting and classifying challenging targets in cluttered environments; minimising detectable RF emissions for covert operations and overmatch; managing complex sensor systems intelligently; and reducing the Size, Weight, Power and Cost (SWAPC) of systems for deployment on a variety of platforms, domains and users.

We would like to fund initial assessment (to reach TRL1/2) of new and novel concepts and technologies that will transform the UK’s radar sensing capability (Land, Sea and Air domains) to meet the needs of a modern complex battlespace in the next 10-15 years. These concepts and technologies will support the future vision of a fully distributed, flexible, multi-function, networked, cognitive radar system, with an optimum information transfer that is resilient and robust. Primary areas of interest are listed below; others will be considered on application:

• wideband arrays
• passive and multi-static sensing
• low probability of intercept/exploitation (LPI/E) waveforms and electronic protection measure (EPM) signal processing
• cognitive radar
• high-doppler resolution for detection and classification of difficult targets
• tagging, tracking and locating (TTL)
• next generation imaging techniques for complex radar applications
• low size, weight, power and cost (SWAPC) commercial off the shelf (COTS) devices

Submit your ‘Emerging Innovations’ proposal here

Delivering an open data sharing solution

Unique Identifier: IFA009

Defence needs to share data across its enterprise, (with other nations, other government departments, across the services and with its supply base). There is a vast amount of data originating from many sources (system sensors and data buses, operational activities, engineering, logistic and supply chain transactions, financial and commercial systems of record), all with different data owners. The sharing of data in accordance with the full range of business rules, dependent on who you are, what organisation you work in and the role you fulfil, is complicated, time consuming and inefficient.

The challenge is to demonstrate the ability to analyse and share structured and unstructured multi-source data, maintaining its classification and permission-based access rules at machine speed. Any user within the enterprise should be able to request information and dependent on individual permissions, role and organisation, the request should be serviced from a common dataset, but the information presented to the user should be based on their data access rights.

We are looking for solutions that:

• deliver a working prototype to resolve data sharing challenges
• will work with some or all MOD legacy systems
• meet Defence security requirements
• are evergreen and cyber resilient
• can be delivered as a service rather than a system
• enable interoperability through open architectures, standards and open data/document formats
• can be easily accessed by multiple users through a common user interface simultaneously
• have potential for MOD accreditation (although we do not want to constrain innovation at this stage)

Successful applicants will be granted access to these datasets from the C130J Hercules platform provided by three different countries, once security clearance has been approved. While this Innovation Focus Area is seeking solutions to manage datasets across all defence platforms, this will allow for successful proposals to be demonstrated in a similar environment.

Submit your proposal here

Regenerative medicine at the front line

Unique Identifier IFA010

Recently a regenerative medicine research strategy was developed for Defence, based on the following scoping study. One of the research themes identified concerns understanding how the systemic response to severe traumatic injury affects later regenerative capacity, principally focusing on extremity soft tissue.

Regenerative responses are dependent on context. Regenerative medicine must not only be about providing injured tissues with a therapy but also with an environment conducive to regeneration.

The burden of tissue damage associated with severe traumatic injury can lead to a dysregulation of a variety of systems including immune, metabolic and haemostatic responses. A better understanding of this context and what happens to, for example, the viability, production, differentiation and migration of cells involved in repair and regeneration after severe trauma will be important for the development of novel early regenerative strategies.

We are seeking proposals that either:

• look to understand the effect of the systemic milieu on regenerative processes, either endogenous or therapeutic

or

• investigate an approach to modulate the systemic environment after severe injury with subsequent assessment of an appropriate outcome variable associated with wound regeneration.

Proposals should take into account the context in which medical care is likely to be delivered in the future as therapeutic concepts should be appropriate for use early after injury in austere environments.

Submit your proposal here

Innovation focus areas for security

Finding suspected threats on passengers during airport screening

Unique Identifier IFA001

Once a metal detector or security scanner alarm is activated on a passenger, the passenger is subjected to a further search in order to resolve the alarm and determine whether the alarm is genuine.

Currently this is carried out by combining the use of hand searches, handheld metal detectors and explosive trace detectors. Hand searches, particularly when performed on certain areas of the body, can be intrusive for the passenger and uncomfortable for the security officer conducting the search.

We are interested in receiving proposals for the development of hand-held solutions that will help detect both metallic and non-metallic threats on the body while reducing the need for person-person contact, particularly in harder-to-search areas of the body. Any solutions must be safe to use on people and should complement, rather than duplicate, existing screening processes, such as metal and explosive detection.

Submit your proposal here

Matching passengers with their x-ray trays during airport screening

Unique Identifier IFA002

Airport screening requires passengers to put their items into trays which are then passed through x-ray machines. Passengers may require multiple x-ray trays when they have a large number of personal effects. This can lead to trays becoming separated from one another and from the relevant passenger. Therefore, we are seeking a novel solution which is able to:

• link each passenger to all of their x-ray trays, until all items have been screened and retrieved by the passenger record each tray’s outcome (clear or divert) for auditing purposes

• integrate with the x-ray system for specific screening of each tray, as a further capability

The solution must:

• produce an output which could be demonstrated and trialed, rather than just a theoretical model

• be able to integrate within aviation security screening environments

Submit your proposal here

Improving aviation cargo screening speed

Unique Identifier IFA003

Aviation cargo screening can be a laborious process that takes a significant amount of time. Cargo can be either distributed on pallets or in large containers. Currently, aviation cargo is screened for threat items by a variety of methods including x-ray systems. Cargo often has regions of high density, and other complexities such as size and shape which require further investigation. Secondary screening involves manual screening and other detection methods such as metal detection, canine screening and explosive trace detection.

We are seeking novel, innovative ideas that would help increase the speed, accuracy and volume at which cargo is screened to improve the throughput of cargo as well as enhance security. We are interested in screening methods that can detect explosives and hidden weapons.

In particular, we are interested in:

• large cargo and pallet-level screening solutions which are entirely novel or add on to existing screening methods

• the ability to screen dark, dense regions within consignments, such as dense materials or densely packed items

Submit your proposal here

Assistive technology for rail staff

Unique Identifier IFA004

In train stations, staff regularly check the public areas such as platforms, concourse and shops to detect threats to the public. This includes any unusual activity and items. Unusual activity is something that a normal train passenger or station user would not be doing, such as trying to avoid staff, staying at a station too long or collecting information about the station. Rail companies use the ‘See it, Say it, Sorted’ campaign to promote members of the public identifying and reporting any unusual behaviour or items. This has proved to be a huge success, encouraging already observant members of the public.

We are seeking innovative solutions to work in combination with existing railway security measures and the ‘See it, Say it, Sorted’ campaign to detect unusual behaviour. This could also be used to help identify and assist passengers who appear to be lost, those who are vulnerable or possibly considering self-harm. Assistance could be provided by a member of staff equipped with technology, a piece of technology itself, or a member of staff trained in a new procedure. For example, members of staff could be enabled with technology to readily answer questions or there may be a mobile artificial intelligence presence. Overall, this should help to facilitate good customer service and help staff feel confident and safe approaching members of the public. Any solution must be cost effective.

We are seeking:

• innovative technologies or solutions that help staff identify unusual activity and interact with members of the public, along with an understanding of how these fit into the current market landscape

• ideas to further encourage passengers to spot and report unusual behaviour

• ways to identify passengers who need assistance, as well as a deployable solution

• additional benefits in customer service for train station users, and confidence and security for station staff to understand the effectiveness of body-worn cameras at deterring unusual behaviour

Submit your proposal here

Screening train carriages

Unique Identifier IFA005

Trains require checking to identify whether items have been left unattended in carriages, especially while the train is in use, so that staff can be alerted quickly. Screening is a difficult process due to the complexity of the areas within trains that would need to be checked. These will include areas such as the spaces under seats, overhead luggage racks, and the junctions between carriages. In order to make the process more efficient, we would like to augment or automate this process. There is a need for a device that is able to scan train carriages and determine if any foreign objects have been left behind.

We are interested in proposals that:

• modify existing processes (e.g. CCTV) to meet the screening needs

• screen the whole carriage, including under the seats, overhead racks and junction between carriages. Screening needs to be carried out rapidly, whilst the train is in use and with passengers present

Submit your proposal here