These efforts are supported by a growing community of practice within NATS, which connects R&D teams, technical leads and external collaborators to share insights and build a robust knowledge base.
We are also actively engaged in external partnerships, including work with the University of York’s Centre for Assuring Autonomy to explore novel approaches to automation certification and draw inspiration from other industries.
Human-Machine Collaboration is a key enabler of NATS’ 2040 strategy. It underpins our work on future ATM operations, integrated traffic management, and environmental sustainability. By taking a lifecycle view—from concept to deployment—we aim to ensure that automation enhances human capability rather than replaces it, and that our systems remain safe, trusted and resilient.
This research is also informing regulatory engagement, with insights shared through the HMC community of practice and used to support discussions with the UK regulator and third-party analysts.