Mentor Insights with Nour Eid
For our new Mentor Insights series, we caught up with Nour Eid, Technologist at the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) and mentor on the ATI Boeing Accelerator. We learned about his aerospace background, the future of sustainable aviation, and his recommendations for businesses applying for government funding.
Nour joined the ATI’s Technology team in October 2017 to shape and develop R&D projects in manufacturing, materials, and structures. Nour has supported several projects which have contributed to major UK aerospace initiatives including Airbus’s Wing of Tomorrow programme, Bombardier’s wing production in Belfast and a wide range of supply-chain and SME led projects.
Since joining the ATI, Nour has developed key technology strategies around advancing the use of additive manufacturing and near net shape manufacturing within aerospace. Nour has also been involved in research on cross-cutting activities such as how best to support start-ups who are entering the aerospace sector.
How did you get into aerospace?
I grew up in Hounslow, west London, less than 3 miles away from Heathrow Airport. Naturally, I’ve always been fascinated by airplanes and the complexity of the engineering that enables hundreds of tonnes to take off and stay in the air. When I was younger, I vividly remember when Concorde used to pass over on its way in and out of Heathrow. Twice a day, the roar of the Olympus engines would stop you in your tracks for a good half a minute — you’d pause your conversation, or you wouldn’t be able to hear the television until it passed over! I went on to study Aeronautical Engineering at university before joining Airbus as a flight physics graduate engineer in Filton, just north of Bristol.
What are some of the trends you’re seeing in the aerospace industry today?
The last year or so has seen a massive shift towards more sustainable aviation and rightly so! Countries are pledging to go carbon-free and aerospace is a sector that needs to follow suit. Sustainable aviation doesn’t just mean reducing the emissions from the engines, it means everything from using light-weight, efficient materials to reducing emissions while manufacturing; from optimising how you use your aircraft in the air to how you recycle and reuse components at the end of its life.
One area which I have been heavily involved in is introducing industry 4.0 into aerospace manufacturing. This ranges from having more optimised factories, connected supply chains and the introduction of a digital thread through the design, manufacturing and validation processes. If you look at companies such as Airbus and Rolls Royce, they are employing more data scientists than ever before.
Even when some of the startups have similar technologies, they have worked together collaboratively rather than competitively.
What is the best part about working with startups?
Many aerospace companies have been around for decades. Although change is slowly coming, many processes are rigid, linear and time-consuming. Startups have the benefits of being agile, small and quick to respond — they aren’t constrained by the processes that larger, older organisations are used to. Of course, this is a two-way street — aerospace is a highly regulated and measured industry. The ATI Boeing Accelerator allows startups to learn more about the requirements of certification but also provides our corporate partners with an opportunity to learn more about the agile methodologies of a startup.
At the ATI Boeing Accelerator, the startups are feeling the “cohort effect” i.e. an opportunity to come together and build something. What are some of the collaborative opportunities you can see happening?
On the first day of the cohort, I sat at the back of the event space in our accelerator office while all the founders in the cohort stood up and introduced themselves. On several occasions, one founder would explain their business and I would see others whisper something to their neighbour or quickly jot down a note. You could almost see the lightbulbs switch on above their heads!
From this point onwards, I would see collaboration at every level. Sometimes it was as simple as sharing contacts and other times, it was working together to build Proof of Concept projects. Even when some of the startups have similar technologies, they have worked together collaboratively rather than competitively.
How was your mentoring experience during the programme?
I’ve really enjoyed being a mentor to the founders in our cohort! It’s been insightful for me to understand the ins and outs of startups at different levels. Working in the ATI gives us the luxury of having access to a huge network in the sector and as a mentor, I really wanted to share this network with the founders. Following up on some of the connections that have been made has also been a positive experience — often people want to find out more about the accelerator and are keen to get involved and offer their expertise to others going forward, which is fantastic!
Make use of your network and your peers and get an understanding of how they are being supported
What recommendations would you give to a business that is writing a grant application?
Applying for government grants can often seem daunting or intimidating if you haven’t done it before, but that needn’t be the case. Funding agencies like the ATI often have someone you can reach on the end of a phone line who can tell you more about the grant process and guide you through an application.
As an example, Innovate UK is the UK’s innovation agency. You can find a wealth of information on their website including general guidance for applicants, an overview of eligible costs and finances and a list of all the competitions which are open right now. For each competition, you’ll also find a webinar explaining the process with an opportunity to answer questions at the end.
If you’re interested in applying for aerospace grant funding, drop us an email and someone will be in touch with you to answer any questions you may have.
What is your advice for companies looking for government support during this challenging time for the industry?
It’s certainly a challenging time at the moment — many organisations are constantly updating how they operate and the same is true for government. In the last two weeks alone, we have seen a raft of new government measures being implemented. The best thing to do at this time is to keep an eye on official channels for any measures which may support you. Make use of your network and your peers and get an understanding of how they are being supported — maybe they can help you out or offer you some advice.
Although new support measures are being made available, many existing funding routes remain open and operational. The ATI, for example, intends to continue with our scheduled funding competitions through 2020 and beyond, including supporting grant funding through our smaller competition — NATEP.
If in doubt, get in touch!
Follow the ATI on Twitter to stay up to date with their latest research, projects, and funding opportunities.
For more information about the programme, please contact the ATI Boeing Accelerator team:
Gabi Matic — gm@atiboeingaccelerator.com | linkedin.com/in/gabrielamatic
Wil Benton — wb@atiboeingaccelerator.com | linkedin.com/in/fatkidonfire
Ksenia Kurileva — kk@atiboeingaccelerator.com | linkedin.com/in/kseniakurileva
