INNOVATIVE LEAPS BY FUNDING IMAGINATION
SITUATION
A leading European entity was conducting breakthrough materials research and development that would fundamentally alter aerospace and defence technologies within the next 6-7 years. This programme’s R&D was exciting, but as with many organisations and institutions, budgets were tightening and the economy was shrinking. The entity lacked the financial means to continue.
SOLUTION
The Menlo Programme has been on a mission to grasp how technology innovation might redefine the aerospace landscape 10, 20, and 30 years from now. Whether through equipment provision, talent support, or funding, the Menlo Programme enables student and professional scientists with game-changing R&D ideas to continue their work that would otherwise be sidelined. This purpose is not just for curiosity’s sake. Rothers’ Menlo Programme understands that it is not just the end users of aerospace and defence technologies who stand to gain if these scientists’ visions are fulfilled. The results often span multiple industries and applications.
RESULTS
The innovative materials R&D programme continues due to Menlo Programme partnership. This research will not only change the aerospace and defence industries in the future, but may also break new ground on prosthetic devices and other medical applications. Author John Brandenburg, plasma physicist and senior research scientist at Orbital Technologies Corp., said it best: “Before the future can occur, it must be imagined.”
