Ministers are to set out plans to expand the use of drones to transport medical supplies to rural communities in a multi-million funding package for “novel aerial services”.
Under proposals to be unveiled by the science and technology secretary Chloe Smith, the UK Space Agency will invest £20 million in seed capital to help satellite communications companies to develop new drone services.
The money is expected to be used to roll out the use of satellite technology to quickly transport drugs to remote areas where road transport links are poor.
It could, for example, allow more cancer patients to be treated with chemotherapy drugs in their own homes or local clinics rather than have to travel long distances to hospital.
The new funding builds on
