The UK’s innovation accelerator for cities, transport and place leadership, the Connected Places Catapult, has opened applications for project HADeS (High Assurance Detection Systems), which aims to enhance the checkpoint security screening capability at UK airports.
The project is delivered by Catapult on behalf of the UK’s Department for Transport (DfT) and focuses on alarm resolution and any operating concept that can enhance the performance of checkpoint systems to screen aviation passengers and their cabin baggage. Â
The competition will provide a total of up to ÂŁ500,000 (US$631,672) in grant funding, for up to eight organizations, with funding up to ÂŁ80,000 (US$101,076) available per organization. Successful applicants will receive funding to develop their ideas during a six-month program that will involve business support workshops. Selected projects could lead to future live demonstrations and create new market opportunities. Â
The current cabin baggage screening system in the UK largely uses a two-stage primary screening approach provided by computed tomography or dual-view x-ray. Where necessary, this is followed by secondary or alarm resolution screening techniques using explosives trace detection and liquid explosive detection systems. The DfT wants to ensure that future security checkpoints meet the highest possible threat detection capability while remaining operationally viable.Â
DfT says that current primary screening systems have demonstrated the capability to detect a wide range of threats with operationally viable false alarm rates, which provides an opportunity for alarm resolution screening techniques to be developed further to address evolving threats.Â
Applications will close on December 13. The Connected Places Catapult will hold an application support webinar on November 26 to give applicants the opportunity to find out more about the program.
In October, DfT released the results of a survey into customer satisfaction with security screening at UK airports. Read more about it here.Â
