Commercial opportunity to enhance access to market. Potential guidance from BAE Systems with support from the wider KTN and Innovate UK networks. 

The Royal Navy is exploring new avenues to seek and adopt best-in-class thinking; underpinning the critical operations the navy has to provide without failure. KTN communities delivering innovative solutions are being actively sought and welcomed to the Maritime Mission Systems market to expand the boundaries of what is considered the art of the possible. This challenge is an opportunity for those with innovative ideas to explore where their approaches could add value. The journey is fully supported by BAE Systems Surface Ships, which offers its Software Development Kit (INTeACT SDK) to expedite the development of innovative solutions. Importantly the new players will continue to have their ideas fully protected in terms of IP, so there is nothing to lose.
&nbsp;

Introduction

The market for novel and innovative &ldquo;new ideas&rdquo; for our warships is closer to you than you may realise. The current perception that only the very large technology solution suppliers are entrusted to come up with the solutions that enable our navy to operate is now something of the past. The fact of the matter is that this market has opened up and it&rsquo;s right at your doorstep. Innovative solutions that are being deployed in all sectors should quite rightly be considered for Maritime Mission Systems applications and BAE Systems Surface Ships are keen to explore them with you.&nbsp;
BAE Systems Surface Ships have come together with KTN to provide a safe and secure arena to cultivate new innovative thinking for Maritime Mission Systems operations, designed specifically for dynamic SMEs, medium-sized enterprises and horizon scanning UK R&amp;D centres. The prominent, viable and innovative ideas will have the direct support of BAE Systems Surface Ships (including access to the INTeACT SDK) to enable these solutions to readily integrate into warship systems such as those currently in operation. Such solutions will be enabled and encouraged by BAE Systems Surface Ships, with the wider market access and IP remaining firmly with the solution owner.
Sectors of interest guidance (not exhaustive):
<ul>
<li>You are openly invited to explore the art of the possible for your ideas. Your idea must have some relevance or utility within a Maritime Mission System.</li>
<li>A Maritime Mission System comprises a number of sub-systems, all of which are vital for the delivery of warship capability and operations. Together, Maritime Mission Systems include command and control, surveillance, situational awareness, sensor control and weapon control.</li>
</ul>
Examples of requirements and challenges recently expressed* by the MoD that are applicable to the mission systems domain include:
<ul>
<li>Manage significant volumes of data from remote or autonomous systems&nbsp;</li>
<li>Information services that integrate formatted or unformatted data&nbsp;</li>
<li>Collaborative data sharing with classified information</li>
<li>Technology-based data analysis e.g. use of machine learning&nbsp;</li>
<li>Collaboration between human and technology-based decision-making processes&nbsp;</li>
<li>Systems and processes to analyse and visualise real-time data&nbsp;</li>
<li>Manage fleets of remote or autonomous systems and use these systems to undertake tasks normally completed by human operators&nbsp;</li>
<li>Provide training for operators to perform in complex or high-stress environments&nbsp;</li>
<li>Adoption of Virtual Reality or Augmented Reality into training&nbsp;</li>
<li>Capture and exploitation of performance information collected during training</li>
<li>Smart wearable tech and applications</li>
</ul>
Ideas should be created with the aim of transforming maritime military capabilities. *The MoD publishes requirements in various forms, examples being the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/defence-and-security-accelerator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Defence &amp; Security Accelerator</a>.&nbsp;

Background

Functional Requirements
<ul style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 400;">
<li>Your solution must have some relevance or utility within a Maritime Mission System context.</li>
<li>A Maritime Mission System comprises of a number of sub-systems, all of which are vital for the delivery of warship capability and operations. Together, Maritime Mission Systems include command and control, surveillance, situational awareness, sensor control and weapon control.&nbsp;</li>
<li>The INTeACT SDK is initially aimed at applications dealing with tactical picture visualisation, track correlation and track identity recommendations. Future iterations of the SDK will provide further services to support the development of Maritime Mission Systems applications and your solutions will influence this roadmap.</li>
<li>Solutions must adopt an open interfaces approach for Maritime Mission Systems interoperability.</li>
<li>Solution can be at any stage of development but it must be clear to the assessment teams where it adds value and resonates with the scope and Maritime Mission System statement above.</li>
</ul>
Technical Characteristics
The SDK implements open standards (as defined by the Object Management Group (OMG)) including:
<ul>
<li>OARIS (Open Architecture Radar Interface Standard),&nbsp;</li>
<li>TACSIT (Tactical Situation Specification/TACSIT Data Exchange (TEX)) and&nbsp;</li>
<li>ALMAS (Alert Management Service).&nbsp;</li>
<li>More information can be found on these open interfaces on the OMG website</li>
<li>The INTeACT SDK initially utilises GraphQL as its data and message exchange mechanism</li>
<li>A future update will extend this to offer the same interfaces using the Data Distribution Standard (DDS)</li>
</ul>
The INTeACT SDK provides a number of applications and services including:
<ul>
<li>Data Service: uses an HTTP Server to store and distribute data between components</li>
<li>Combat System Track Service: provides a consolidated view from multiple sensors and decision aids</li>
<li>Combat System Picture Correlation App: determines whether tracks from different sensors correspond to the same object&nbsp;</li>
<li>Geodesy Service: provides utilities for doing calculations in real-world coordinates</li>
<li>Display Console: provides a plan display based on content from the Combat System Track Service</li>
<li>Real-World Scenario Simulator: provides a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for crafting scenarios based on the motion of objects in the real-world</li>
</ul>

Solution Requirements

<ul style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li>This KTN Innovation Exchange (KTN iX&trade;) challenge will be used to quickly identify the Top 10 strongest solutions that resonate with the sectors of interest guidance criteria above.</li>
<li>The Top 10 solutions will be invited to participate in a physical codeathon in London next year with access to the INTeACT SDK including underlying representative data and scenarios.&nbsp; Solution providers will be encouraged to develop their thinking while we wait for the codeathon to schedule.</li>
<li>The codeathon will enable the strongest solutions to receive direct support and encouragement from the BAE Systems Surface Ships technical team for future development for the Maritime Mission Systems marketplace.</li>
<li>Solutions that have not initially made Top 10 through the KTN iX&trade; process are free to continue to be developed and will be included in a continuous review process for future opportunities.</li>
</ul>

Process

b1b21ead-eb2f-4a40-b1bc-35ddb5bb187b/Picture1.jpg

<ul style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li>The reward for driven and motivated applicants will be the absolute right to take their idea forward into a commercial opportunity directly with the end-user.</li>
<li>Solutions of particular interest and/or novel value may be offered support and guidance from BAE Systems Surface Ships to help refine the idea or application.</li>
<li>KTN will also be able to support any such ideas with additional collaborator introductions and wider sector intelligence input should the solution lead deem it necessary. &nbsp;</li>
</ul>

  Rewards & Benefits

<ul style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li>Launch of the Competition: Monday 6th September&nbsp;2021</li>
<li>Deadline for applications: Friday 28th&nbsp;January 2022</li>
<li>Finalists for solution refining codeathon notified&nbsp;Friday 11th&nbsp;February 2022</li>
<li>Proposed codeathon event (London)&nbsp;Wednesday 11th&nbsp;May 2022</li>
<li>Winner(s) announced:&nbsp;Friday 20th May 2022 </li>
</ul>

 Deployment Timescale

<ul style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li>This opportunity is open to both academic and industrial practitioners. Industrial participants could be established businesses, start-ups or SMEs of any size.</li>
<li>Collaborative solutions (B2B and B2R&amp;D) are valid applications. If collaborative solutions are being tabled a single lead organisation needs to register the application.&nbsp; This organisation can be either an industrial or academic partner.</li>
<li>All organisations participating in this programme including members of collaboration not registering as lead organisations need to be UK based.</li>
<li>All organisations participating in this programme must have or be prepared to sign-up to the UK Government Cyber Essentials scheme demonstrating that the organisation is committed to&nbsp;taking cyber security seriously.</li>
<li>Access to the SDK is facilitated by the use of an innovative, free to use, open defence licencing model. Third parties wishing to exploit the opportunities offered by the INTeACT SDK are required to sign-up to this licencing model before receiving the SDK. Applications will be assessed on:</li>
<li>Relevance to the topic</li>
<li>Innovative nature of the subject</li>
<li>Development potential</li>
<li>Maturity of project/solution</li>
<li>Ability to launch project quickly/Ease of implementation</li>
<li>Suitability for the Maritime Mission System market environments </li>
</ul>

 Eligibility & Assessment Criteria

Existing background IP associated with a potential solution will remain with Solution Provider(s).
Any commercial deployment of transferred solution or newly developed solution, through licensing, joint venture, partnership or direct investment, will be at the discretion and management of the Solution Provider.&nbsp; The Innovation Challenger will remain supportive of any commercial development of the transferred solution, maintaining an open dialogue with the Solution Provider in support if called upon by the Solution Provider.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Where necessary, a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) may be signed to uphold confidentiality in the engagement between the Solution Provider(s) and Innovation Challenger. (This would be expected to be after company selection, it is suggested that details of IP not be disclosed, focus on the outcomes of the technology proposed).
BAE Systems Surface Ships Ltd and KTN do not take any share of IP ownership or enter into commercial ventures through the iX programme. 
 __________________________________________________________________________
<h1>Frequently Asked Questions </h1>
<h4>What&rsquo;s the position of any IP we develop during the process. We want to own it.</h4>
You&nbsp;own any IP you had before the process.
You&nbsp;own outright any IP you develop during the process. Obviously, if you&rsquo;re collaborating with others, you need to find your own agreements.
KTN and BAE Systems have no interests in the IP you already have&nbsp;OR the IP you may develop during the process.&nbsp;This is about growing the marketplace with you and your IP.
If anything, the stakeholders will be only too happy to help you protect your IP. &nbsp;If you&rsquo;re winning, everyone is happy.
To make things clearer, we&rsquo;ve amended the IP statements on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ktninnovationexchange.co.uk/challenges/118/technology_and_solutions_to_enhance_the_capab" target="_blank" rel="noopener">iX Challenge page</a>&nbsp;to support this position.&nbsp; 
<h4>Can we get hold of the SDK now as this would really help us fine-tune our solution?</h4>
Yes, you can. Please get in touch via the &lsquo;Contact Us&rsquo; tab at the top of this page or,&nbsp;if you prefer, simply ask for your own copy by emailing&nbsp;<a href="mailto:inteactsdk@baesystems.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inteactsdk@baesystems.com</a>&nbsp;with the explanation that you&rsquo;re looking at the KTN iX programme.&nbsp; 
<h4>What is the Codeathon?</h4>
The Codeathon will be 2 days in London in May 2022 where the top 10 teams will have the opportunity for further development with the technical teams from KTN, BAE and others commissioning operators closely connected to the Combat Mission Systems on these naval vessels. &nbsp;
It would be like a hackathon with access to the systems themselves - only with your potential customers in the room helping you along.
It will be free&nbsp;to attend for those participating.&nbsp; 
<h4>What if we don&rsquo;t make the Codeathon stage?</h4>
A good idea is a good idea. The stakeholders around these maritime systems will circle back around to offer up more thoughts for you to consider. Nobody has suggested that there will be only one Codeathon.&nbsp;
KTN would be on hand to also explore other opportunities while we wait for the next round of fun to begin.&nbsp;
<h4> Is there investment funding for the right ideas coming up the line?</h4>
Interesting investment&nbsp;opportunities is&nbsp;something that has come up and is being considered, especially around lower TRLs. KTN does have an investment community and there are programmes within the Tier 1 Defence contractors too which can&rsquo;t be ignored. Ongoing enquiry.
<h4> We&rsquo;re a university. &nbsp;Are we of&nbsp;interest to this programme?</h4>
Absolutely. &nbsp;Fascinating things going on within the R&amp;D centres like Universities in the UK are keenly encouraged to come forward.
This iX opportunity is open to all including all levels of the supply chains, non-defence sector practitioners, micro SMEs, medium-sized enterprises and universities alike.
<h4> We&rsquo;ve submitted but we now have another idea.</h4>
You can apply as many times as you like with different ideas within this challenge.
The only element you have to consider is that your email address is unique to a single tabled solution in any one challenge. In other words, you can enter in a new idea within this challenge but you will have to use a different email address in subsequent submissions. &nbsp;If you&rsquo;re using a colleagues email address for a subsequent submission, make sure this is with their agreement.

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