MK secures funding for drone delivery project before Christmas

The project will develop and deploy drones that could speed the delivery of medicines, ease road congestion and the transfer of vital medical supplies as part of an emergency response. Real-time information sharing through drone technologies will allow several services to work together and act faster when responding to incidents integrating ground and air-based services that can also reduce carbon emissions.

MK council will work with Cranfield University’s Drone Innovation Hub and Satellite Applications Catapult Westcott DronePort to test and trial new drone-based services that work alongside current delivery services and autonomous vehicles.

The city council has also announced that four South Korean start-up companies specialising in future sustainable transport have chosen Milton Keynes to trial their products.

Pete Marland, leader of MK Council, said: “We’re proud to be hosting yet another trial to test future technologies in MK which will build on our reputation as a world leading smart city.

“The technologies have the potential to bring practical benefits to help people in everyday life and in time critical emergencies. If the trials are successful it will also help us meet our climate action ambitions and create new jobs of the future for local people.”