Background
Rolls-Royce’s mission is to innovate the most efficient, sustainable, and advanced power systems to meet the future operational requirements of their customers. The Defence business serves over 160 military customers worldwide and they are singularly focussed on a mission - “to pioneer world-leading technology that protects our planet, secures our world, and explores the universe.”
Rolls-Royce Defence has more than 16,000 military engines in service with 160 customers in 103 countries. They are a powerful player in the defence aerospace engine market. From combat to transport, from trainers to helicopters, their engines and pioneering service solutions ensure that their customers have world-leading engine technology available, whatever the mission demands.
Digital First
To support their transition to being a “Digital First” company, Rolls-Royce has developed the Digital “O”. The Digital “O” is recognition of how physical and digital capabilities must seamlessly combine to deliver cutting-edge value propositions for their customers.
The Digital “O” provides their engineering specialists with a framework upon which key elements of the product lifecycle such as product design, development, and test can be delivered as virtual products, sitting alongside their physical counterparts, helping to optimise the efficiency and cost of the product. This also includes illustrating the complementary digital aspects of Modelling and Simulation with the traditional Design and Verification stages of a product lifecycle.
The integration of the physical and digital, and the fusion of data and analytics across these four quadrants, is the lever to unlocking huge value for Rolls-Royce customers through Digital Twins at production, component, product, fleet, and enterprise level.
This is fundamental to the Rolls-Royce approach in designing and delivering next generation platforms; deploying specialised digital engineering tools to ensure that every component, sub-system, and product is fully designed, tested, and verified in the digital world before it ever exists physically. Once the product enters service, secure data links between the physical asset and its Digital Twin will enable customers to make informed decisions and achieve step-change improvements in performance.
FUTURE COMBAT AIR
In mid-2021, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) awarded a contract worth approximately £250m to progress the design and development of Tempest - a technology precursor to the UK’s Global Combat Air Programme. The contract officially marked the start of the Tempest programme’s concept and assessment phase.
The Tempest programme is being delivered by a combined team, bringing together the expertise of the UK MOD, BAE Systems, Leonardo UK, MBDA UK, and Rolls-Royce. Working with international partners, the team is leading progress towards a joint collaborative Combat Air Programme, which will ensure the Royal Air Force and its allies retain world-leading, independent military capability.
The concept and assessment phase contract will see the partners develop a range of digital concepts, embedding new tools and techniques to design, evaluate, and shape the final design and capability requirements of Tempest.
Upon the announcement of the contract award Ben Wallace, UK Secretary of State for Defence, said: “Today’s news is a momentous step towards designing and building a new combat air system which will boost our already world-leading industry and ultimately keep us safe for the rest of the century. The contract I’ve announced today spearheads a £2bn investment over four years and will see thousands of jobs sustained, right across the UK.”
DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT
The programme will pioneer cutting-edge technologies, including those assisted by Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, and autonomous systems to meet the capability requirements of future conflicts and will be operational in the mid-2030s.
Tempest design and production demands a radically different approach and the programme partners are working with companies in their supply chain to drive digital transformation and embed a digital enterprise through the ecosystem; embracing an agile approach that will deliver a combination of advanced technologies, efficiency, increased production speed, and lower costs.
INNOVATION CHALLENGE THEMES
Rolls-Royce and the wider consortium of partners already work with a range of startups and SMEs to co-create, procure, and scale the capabilities they bring. Theirs is a desire to scale this engagement with the SME ecosystem to match the ambitions and growth of the Tempest programme.
The intent is to create a “walled-garden” SME ecosystem, where collaborative innovation can be delivered in a safe, secure, and private environment with a strong emphasis on mutually beneficial partnerships.
Business as Usual and the “traditional” methods of delivery will not be sufficient to deliver the Tempest programme cheaper, quicker, and more sustainably. A new collaborative approach is required that will scale the engagement within the wider SME and Academic ecosystems. From earlier stage R&D to more technically matured SMEs, capabilities will be integrated and exploited in a way that is repeatable, scalable, and provides a structured way to incubate these capabilities in close partnership with Rolls-Royce and the wider consortium partners.
The four current areas of focus are:
Rolls-Royce’s mission is to innovate the most efficient, sustainable, and advanced power systems to meet the future operational requirements of their customers. The Defence business serves over 160 military customers worldwide and they are singularly focussed on a mission - “to pioneer world-leading technology that protects our planet, secures our world, and explores the universe.”
Rolls-Royce Defence has more than 16,000 military engines in service with 160 customers in 103 countries. They are a powerful player in the defence aerospace engine market. From combat to transport, from trainers to helicopters, their engines and pioneering service solutions ensure that their customers have world-leading engine technology available, whatever the mission demands.
Digital First
To support their transition to being a “Digital First” company, Rolls-Royce has developed the Digital “O”. The Digital “O” is recognition of how physical and digital capabilities must seamlessly combine to deliver cutting-edge value propositions for their customers.
The Digital “O” provides their engineering specialists with a framework upon which key elements of the product lifecycle such as product design, development, and test can be delivered as virtual products, sitting alongside their physical counterparts, helping to optimise the efficiency and cost of the product. This also includes illustrating the complementary digital aspects of Modelling and Simulation with the traditional Design and Verification stages of a product lifecycle.
The integration of the physical and digital, and the fusion of data and analytics across these four quadrants, is the lever to unlocking huge value for Rolls-Royce customers through Digital Twins at production, component, product, fleet, and enterprise level.
This is fundamental to the Rolls-Royce approach in designing and delivering next generation platforms; deploying specialised digital engineering tools to ensure that every component, sub-system, and product is fully designed, tested, and verified in the digital world before it ever exists physically. Once the product enters service, secure data links between the physical asset and its Digital Twin will enable customers to make informed decisions and achieve step-change improvements in performance.
FUTURE COMBAT AIR
In mid-2021, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) awarded a contract worth approximately £250m to progress the design and development of Tempest - a technology precursor to the UK’s Global Combat Air Programme. The contract officially marked the start of the Tempest programme’s concept and assessment phase.
The Tempest programme is being delivered by a combined team, bringing together the expertise of the UK MOD, BAE Systems, Leonardo UK, MBDA UK, and Rolls-Royce. Working with international partners, the team is leading progress towards a joint collaborative Combat Air Programme, which will ensure the Royal Air Force and its allies retain world-leading, independent military capability.
The concept and assessment phase contract will see the partners develop a range of digital concepts, embedding new tools and techniques to design, evaluate, and shape the final design and capability requirements of Tempest.
Upon the announcement of the contract award Ben Wallace, UK Secretary of State for Defence, said: “Today’s news is a momentous step towards designing and building a new combat air system which will boost our already world-leading industry and ultimately keep us safe for the rest of the century. The contract I’ve announced today spearheads a £2bn investment over four years and will see thousands of jobs sustained, right across the UK.”
DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT
The programme will pioneer cutting-edge technologies, including those assisted by Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, and autonomous systems to meet the capability requirements of future conflicts and will be operational in the mid-2030s.
Tempest design and production demands a radically different approach and the programme partners are working with companies in their supply chain to drive digital transformation and embed a digital enterprise through the ecosystem; embracing an agile approach that will deliver a combination of advanced technologies, efficiency, increased production speed, and lower costs.
INNOVATION CHALLENGE THEMES
Rolls-Royce and the wider consortium of partners already work with a range of startups and SMEs to co-create, procure, and scale the capabilities they bring. Theirs is a desire to scale this engagement with the SME ecosystem to match the ambitions and growth of the Tempest programme.
The intent is to create a “walled-garden” SME ecosystem, where collaborative innovation can be delivered in a safe, secure, and private environment with a strong emphasis on mutually beneficial partnerships.
Business as Usual and the “traditional” methods of delivery will not be sufficient to deliver the Tempest programme cheaper, quicker, and more sustainably. A new collaborative approach is required that will scale the engagement within the wider SME and Academic ecosystems. From earlier stage R&D to more technically matured SMEs, capabilities will be integrated and exploited in a way that is repeatable, scalable, and provides a structured way to incubate these capabilities in close partnership with Rolls-Royce and the wider consortium partners.
The four current areas of focus are:
1. Supply Chain Management – Technology applications such as IOT, Blockchain, AI/ML, data analytics to optimise planning, sourcing, manufacturing, and logistics. Greater visibility of where assets are to optimise the number of assets in the system
Some example areas of focus (but not exhaustive):
2. Processes – Streamlining back-office functions like Purchasing and Commercial to remove barriers and drop in solutions to connect up systems
Some example areas of focus (but not exhaustive):
3. Net Zero – Technology to continually drive in Net Zero tech such as packaging, processes etc.
Some example areas of focus (but not exhaustive):
4. Collaboration – Technology to bring stakeholders together and resolve issues before they are baked into the solution
Some example areas of focus (but not exhaustive):
The Technology Themes that intersect with the business focus areas above are:
Some example areas of focus (but not exhaustive):
- General sensor and IoT technology - factory energy usage and machine health monitoring
- Concession tracking through the supply chain – managing information flow throughout a product’s manufacturing stages
- Right first-time inventory management – digital management of inventory. Transition from legacy “traditional inventory” to a digital inventory
- Connected community - multiple stakeholders of suppliers, partners, and customers can safely and securely communicate and share data directly
- Human machine teaming - connecting humans, machines, and analytics to create a closed loop of learning, which supports on-the-spot human-machine decision-making and solving challenges such as commodity volatility, demand forecasting, and supplier-specific issues
- Holistic decision-making - more transparent supply chain processes, resulting in improved visibility, performance optimisation, goal setting, and fact-based decision-making
2. Processes – Streamlining back-office functions like Purchasing and Commercial to remove barriers and drop in solutions to connect up systems
Some example areas of focus (but not exhaustive):
- Always-on agility and transparency - integrating traditional data sets with data from sensors and location technologies, providing visibility into all aspects of the network. Track material flows, synchronise schedules, balance supply with demand, drive efficiencies, and rapidly respond to changing conditions or disruptions
- Robotic process automation (RPA) – utilising RPA and RPA applications to increase efficiencies and lower operating costs. Utilising cognitive computing capabilities to augment human intelligence and exploit data to automate insights and reporting in real time
- More detailed and accessible insight - predictive algorithms and visualisation technologies to enable more seamless oversight, planning, and decision-making by planners and analysts
- Optimisation of procurement - using advanced-analytics techniques to extract new value from historical purchase data through applied AI & ML
3. Net Zero – Technology to continually drive in Net Zero tech such as packaging, processes etc.
Some example areas of focus (but not exhaustive):
- Microfactories – utilisation of agile and "lightweight" manufacturing spaces established in localised areas to meet regional demands. Unlike “traditional” manufacturing sites these are driven by a combination of AI, automation, and robotics.
- Additive Layer Manufacturing – commercially viable and scalable 3D printing for both prototyping and production-deployable components
- Sustainable Circular Business - reducing demand, or better management of, virgin materials, safeguarding supply, and further reducing CO2 impacts
- Smart plants & buildings – technologies that enable and support the reduction of CO2 footprint for existing and new buildings but also supports the real-time monitoring, reporting, and decision making to reduce the carbon impact in energy supply, utilisation, and the wider supplier, partner and staff ecosystem that exists around the plant or building
- Net Zero Workforce – Bringing further efficiencies to workforce activities through the application of automation and AI/ML. Using technology to further enhance the workforce (digital) skills and capabilities. Further unlocking sustainable remote or hybrid working
4. Collaboration – Technology to bring stakeholders together and resolve issues before they are baked into the solution
Some example areas of focus (but not exhaustive):
- Data collaboration – a centralised secure repository where data inflows combine and allow authorised users (internal and external) to draw on information, knowledge, and insights. Data governance, data residency, and territory-specific regulations to be accounted for
- Supplier Relationship Management - centralise and consolidate performance data and mutually manage relationships with suppliers towards shared objectives, cementing alignment around strategic (net zero) goals
- Supplier Collaboration Platform – a platform capability to bring different lines of business together, alongside suppliers, to collaborate on projects, organise tasks, and responsibilities, schedule events, assess sentiment, raise issues, discuss progress, and integrate with any SRM
- Digital Thread – digital lifecycle from design, engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, service, and customer support. The digital thread will enable collaboration and communication bi-directionally at any stage of the product lifecycle and ensure the most current data is being utilised for change management or business insights.
The Technology Themes that intersect with the business focus areas above are:
- Industrial Automation
- Digital Twins
- Artificial Intelligence
- Industrial IoT
- Additive (3D Printing) Manufacturing
- Immersive Technologies
- Big Data
- Sustainable Manufacturing
- Augmented and Mixed Reality
THE OPPORTUNITY
Rolls-Royce are looking for applications from Academia, startups and SMEs that could be applied to any of the themes stated above. The intent here is to collaborate and co-create to mature capabilities (“Discovery Phase”), test or trial capabilities (“Pilot Phase”) and, potentially, exploit and scale them in support of the Tempest and GCAP programme.
Any down-selected applications will have the following opportunities:
- Attendance and presentation at an Innovation Showcase event in March 2023 to be held in Bristol and hosted by Rolls-Royce and supported by the wider Tempest consortium partners, Defence industry collaborators and UK Government representatives
- Enrolment to the newly launched Rolls-Royce Open Innovation Forum – SDI Platform
- Onboarding to a secure, safe and private collaboration platform where you can engage and progress with the Rolls-Royce team, other SMEs, and relevant Rolls-Royce supply chain and strategic partners. The platform is where any net new “challenge requests” from Rolls-Royce and the Tempest partners will be shared. This will also be where any 1:1 engagement between Rolls-Royce engineering, business units, and operational functions can be held to progress programmes of work
- Access to a secure data collaboration platform (being developed in partnership with IBM and RedHat) where Official Sensitive datasets can be securely and safely held and made available to any relevant Academic or SME team to run their applications on and demonstrate their capabilities with real and meaningful datasets
- Any Proof-of-Concept deployment will be a paid PoC and will be deployed for testing and productionisation within the Rolls-Royce IT estate. As such any digital capabilities will need to be deployable on-premise as well as exist as a native or hybrid cloud solution
- A “white glove” onboarding programme to Rolls-Royce so any team is Procurement-ready and can be accelerated to commercial engagement when the opportunity arises
- Assistance with any aspects of IBM cloud, AI/ML, security, or data access that you choose to use, as well as support from RedHat OpenSource software engineering
- The opportunity to have a “concierge” experience in becoming a new partner with IBM - giving access to a range of go-to-market programs, free Cloud computing, and technical support
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT
Unlike some Innovation Challenge programmes that seek a specific capability for a specific problem set and single engagement, this is a call for applications to join a private ecosystem of Academia and startups/SMEs that bring diversity of capabilities, diversity of technical maturity, and a diversity of company size and location. This ecosystem will be one that continues to grow and mature and will make continual use of new tools and platforms to further optimise the effectiveness of the ecosystem in helping Rolls-Royce, and its partners, address problem sets, deliver experiments, and mutually scale and exploit capabilities.
The programme intent is to create a single and common experience for all external academic and SME teams and bring them closer to the end user for true open collaboration. In addition, the programme will evolve to provide a more efficient onboarding process for any startups and SMEs, to effectively and commercially engage with the Rolls-Royce internal customers and users.
IBM is partnering with Rolls-Royce, as a strategic customer, to support their Open Innovation approach and help technology startups and SMEs, where needed, with technical advice and support and utilisation of IBM and RedHat platform and service capabilities.
PROGRAMME ENTRY CRITERIA
- All applicants must be compliant with Rolls-Royce’s Global Supplier Code of Conduct (and pass the relevant Anti-Bribery and Corruption (ABC) checks)
- The technology solution must be at least an early-stage prototype and meet Technology Readiness Level 4 requirements
- Applicants’ solutions must not include export-controlled technology. It is the individual company’s responsibility to understand the export control regulations around their solutions and those will be governed by both the country of origin and the country they’re exporting to
- All applicants must be a registered legal entity
- To enable future flexibility, any on-premise applications should be Cloud capable. These, and indeed all Cloud applications, should support deployment onto multiple Clouds, with the preferred mechanism for this being the ability to run on OpenShift.
INNOVATION CHALLENGE DATES
Application deadline: 5th May 2023
Down selection completion: 10th May 2023
Innovation Showcase event: 25th May 2023
