Lilypad
Lilypad is a ground-breaking ecosystem of multiple resident autonomous UAVs operating beyond visual line of sight to provide safe, efficient and scalable inspection services for offshore wind assets.
Futureworx is a team of tech and engineering talent focussed on exploring megatrends and addressing practical problems within Marshall’s markets. As an in-house accelerator, we apply our creativity and specialised knowledge to shape and power the next generation of Marshall products and services.
The breadth of experience and expertise within Futureworx, coupled with the power of the Marshall brand, has enabled us to forge important strategic relationships with likeminded organisations offering complementary capabilities across a wide range of industries.
Innovation framework
At Futureworx, we focus on megatrends that are set to shape our industries - including net zero carbon in mobility, integrating AI in ground and air vehicles, and applying technology to support autonomous asset management, maintenance and repair.
Being at the heart of Marshall, we are well placed to identify gaps in our markets which are not immediately obvious and solve these problems at the right time to drive positive change and make the most of these opportunities.
This process is driven by our in-house innovation framework, which provides a disciplined methodology for turning concept into reality.
The innovation framework consists of two cycles. The initial "explore cycle" lets us take the practical problems that face our business and start by thinking big, before discarding the implausible, filtering down to the practical, stress-testing potential candidates, and selecting only the most promising winners. This is followed by a “create cycle” in which we solidify our grasp of subject matter, identify project partners, develop products and solutions, and create a business case.
Our innovation framework
The first Futureworx explore cycle focussed on four key megatrends: autonomous systems, data insights and services, net zero, and energy management. Several projects that emerged from this first explore cycle have now progressed to the create cycle phase, and are detailed below.
Projects
Following its establishment in 2021, the Futureworx team has already completed its first explore cycle and announced a handful of products that will be brought to market in partnership with industry-leading private-sector and academic R&D teams.
Partnerships
Partnerships sit at the heart of every Futureworx project.
While we’re incredibly proud of our team members’ diverse academic, professional and cultural backgrounds, we know that joining forces with the world’s foremost experts will lead to the best possible products and technologies.
Our Lilypad system, for example, would not be possible without UAV specialist ISS Aerospace, or operating systems built by software experts sees.ai.
Similarly, creating a liquid hydrogen fuelling system for aviation will require the combined brainpower and industrial capability of Futureworx, GKN Aerospace, Parker Meggitt, the Aerospace Technology Institute and the universities of Bath, Cardiff and Manchester—along with highly specialised support from a supply chain of SMEs.
Elsewhere, we are working alongside UK telecoms developer Stratospheric Platforms Limited, R&D specialists Cambridge Consultants and aircraft manufacturer Britten-Norman to trial a new platform for airborne 5G connectivity.
We work closely in the Cambridge ecosystem, strategically engaging the University and local startup companies to tap into their wealth of expertise, remain at the forefront of technological advancements and contribute to future innovations.
Of course, we are also fortunate to have easy access to the full breadth and depth of engineering capabilities across Marshall’s broader business - ranging from design and manufacture to testing, certification and systems integration. If you’d like to get in touch to discuss a potential partnership with us, click here.
People
Based out of St John's Innovation Park in the heart of Cambridge, UK, we are a diverse group of engineers and project managers with deep expertise spanning a range of specialisations and applications.
What really excites and motivates our people about Futureworx is the scope for technical innovation, the fast-paced environment, and—most importantly - the fact that we choose to work on projects that could truly change the world.
To explore available opportunities within the Futureworx team, click here.
