CraneAERO (Cranfield, United Kingdom) is proud to announce that we have been officially selected as one of the Stage 2 Prototype Winners of the global GoAERO Prize competition.
This recognition marks a significant milestone for our team as we advance toward building next-generation aircraft capable of transforming emergency response and saving lives.
About the GoAERO Prize
The GoAERO Prize is a multi-year global innovation challenge designed to accelerate the development of advanced aerial emergency response vehicles. The competition is supported by international partners and offers more than $2 million in prizes across three phases:
- Stage 1: Concept & design
- Stage 2: Prototype development
- Final Fly-Off (2027): Live mission demonstrations at the NASA Ames Research Center
By being selected as a Stage 2 winner, CraneAERO has successfully demonstrated a validated prototype-level design that moves our aircraft closer to real-world humanitarian and emergency applications.
What Comes Next
As Stage 2 winners, we now move forward to the next phase of the competition, preparing for the Final Fly-Off in 2027, where teams will showcase their aircraft in real emergency-inspired missions involving:
- Maneuverability challenges
- Adversity endurance
- Productivity and operational tasks
- Realistic rescue and emergency simulations
Stage 2 winners also receive exclusive benefits provided by GoAERO and its partners, including access to expert mentorship, regulatory guidance, engineering tools, insurance support, and technical resources to accelerate development.
This support will play a key role as CraneAERO continues refining its autonomous, purpose-built Emergency Response Flyer an aircraft designed to respond rapidly, operate under challenging conditions, and help save lives when every second counts.
A Milestone Powered by Collaboration
This achievement is a testament to the dedication and innovation of our entire team, as well as the mentors, advisors, and community members who have supported our mission.
At CraneAERO, we remain committed to pushing the boundaries of autonomous aviation to create life-saving solutions for crisis situations around the world.
Join Us on the Journey
We invite the community, partners, and supporters to stay connected as we move forward:
- Follow our social media channels for ongoing updates
- Share this announcement to help amplify our mission
- Reach out if you’re an engineer, designer, regulator, or emergency response professional interested in collaborating
- Join us as we work toward the 2027 Fly-Off and the next era of aerial emergency response
Together, we are building technology that can make the world safer: one flight at a time.