Weekly Events Blog: 3 February | IPT

Soaring Sustainably: The Future of Aviation

The Industry and Parliament Trust (IPT) hosted a dinner discussion on Monday the 3rd of February on the topic of ‘Soaring Sustainably: The Future of Aviation’. This roundtable discussion was chaired by Dr Scott Arthur MP, Member, Select Committee on Transport, House of Commons, with guest speakers, Jackie Castle, Chief Technology Officer, Aerospace

Technology Institute, Holly Boyd-Boland, Vice President for Corporate Development, Virgin Atlantic and Professor Ben Morgan, Interim Chief Executive at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), University of Sheffield. The event focused on how the aviation sector can prioritise sustainable green air travel whilst continuing to drive economic growth.

Discussion Points

  • The UK needs to modernize its approach to sustainable aviation, for example, by adopting different methods of recycling waste products, such as utilising household and farming waste.
  • This would help the UK tackle it supply deficit for sustainable aviation fuels, so alternative methods of production must be considered.
  • This also refers to redesigning air traffic routes in order to improve their efficiency of airspace. Innovation provides potential routes for change, hydrogen fuel cells, for example, whilst still being in the early stages of development, could offer a greener route for air travel.

Access for All: Closing the Digital Divide

16% of the adults in the UK lack the most basic ‘foundation-level’ digital skills. As more vital services go online, those without internet and digital skills are disproportionately affected making digital inclusion more important than ever. According to the Digital Inclusion APPG roughly 22% of the UK population do not possess the digital skills necessary for everyday life and have predicted that by 2030 4.5 million people will remain digitally disengaged. Those most at risk of digital exclusion include older citizens; the most financially vulnerable; those not working; people living alone; and people impacted by a limiting condition e.g. hearing or vision impairment.

 

It is also important to consider the impact of recent events. OFCOM research suggests that whilst some adults were able to gain new digital skills during the Covid-19 pandemic, many others became more entrenched in the digital divide as a greater number of everyday activities and services moved online. The same OFCOM report suggested that the issue needs to be tackled on three fronts: supporting those who want to get online; providing less confident users with essential digital skills; and ensuring that those who remain offline are not left behind. How can we collectively tackle digital exclusion?

 

Discussion Points

  • Defining features. We must understand digital inclusion and exclusion in its multiple different facets. Digital exclusion is a matter of skills shortages, inside the workplace as well as outside. It is also a matter of access, up and down the country due to a lack of infrastructure as well as being a result of socio-economic disparity. Both issues must be tackled.
  • Access is a necessity not a luxury. Digital access is, arguably, as important to participation in modern society as access to water and gas at home. This raises the issue of affordability and the role the government must play in tackling the issue. Should data and internet connections become a utility or operate in a similar style?
  • The matter of demographics. There is a gendered aspect to digital exclusion. The lack of functionality can lead to women feeling unsafe in the digital environment. Further, complex health needs for women and elderly people struggle to be met efficiently by apps. Only 9% of digital health apps meet current NHS standards regarding accessibility.
  • Public perception. Whilst data may suggest a community or area is digitally excluded, their own perceptions may suggest otherwise. A study in Margate has shown that whilst government and academic definitions would suggest these communities were digitally excluded, their small communal hubs and making use of other members of the community with relevant skills made them feel that they were not digitally excluded or in digital poverty.
  • Misconceptions. Whilst younger people are “digital natives” having grown up in the digital world, we should not assume they possess the relevant skills for the workplace. Further, we should not forget that those who currently possess the necessary skills may be overtaken by technological advancement and face the risk of becoming digitally excluded.