Vertical Aerospace has been awarded a Proof-of-Concept (POC) grant under the Dimension X Cohort 7 Challenge to support development of emergency medical services (EMS) capabilities for its Valo eVTOL aircraft platform in Singapore.

The grant is provided through Hatch, the innovation centre of Singapore’s Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX), focused on public safety technologies. The programme will support development, testing and validation of an EMS use case for electric and hybrid-electric vertical flight operations, particularly for time-critical medical response in remote island areas around Singapore.

Operational trials and flight demonstration planned

Under the programme, Vertical will work with HTX, Hatch and operational stakeholders to develop an EMS concept of operations aligned with regulatory and operational requirements. The collaboration will also evaluate medical cabin configurations supporting patient transport and in-flight medical care.

The project includes a proof-of-concept flight demonstration designed to assess mission feasibility, safety and response time performance. The programme will run through April 2026, with broader flight testing of Vertical’s hybrid-electric aircraft planned for the second half of 2026.

The initiative includes collaboration with the Singapore Home Team to evaluate how eVTOL and VTOL aircraft could complement existing emergency response systems and potentially improve patient outcomes in critical scenarios.

Selection supports AAM development and regulatory integration

Vertical Aerospace was selected following a competitive process, reflecting the company’s certification approach, safety-focused design philosophy and cabin mission flexibility.

The programme is intended as a foundation for longer-term collaboration supporting safe introduction of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) applications in Singapore beyond trial operations.

The initiative aligns with Singapore’s broader AAM development strategy, led by the Singapore Economic Development Board and supported by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, aimed at enabling safe introduction of next-generation aircraft and building a national AAM ecosystem.

Stuart Simpson, Chief Executive Officer of Vertical Aerospace, said the collaboration represents an important step in demonstrating how electric and hybrid-electric aircraft could support emergency response operations safely and effectively in the region.

Shao Hong Mok, Centre Director at Hatch and Senior Vice President, Innovations at TechX Ventures, said the programme enables evaluation of Advanced Air Mobility for emergency response while maintaining focus on safety, regulatory alignment and operational readiness.

Dimension X challenge supports public safety technology development

The Dimension X Open Innovation Challenge supports early-stage companies developing dual-use technologies with potential public safety applications. Selected companies receive S$100,000 in non-dilutive funding, along with access to HTX technical expertise, operational users and real-world testing environments.

Valo platform supports zero-emission and hybrid-electric operations

Vertical Aerospace is developing Valo as a piloted, four-passenger electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft designed to deliver zero operating emissions. The company is also developing a hybrid-electric variant to extend range and mission flexibility for advanced air mobility applications.

Vertical has approximately 1,500 pre-orders for the Valo platform from customers across four continents, including American Airlines, Avolon, Bristow, GOL and Japan Airlines. The company is headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom, and works with aerospace partners including Honeywell, Syensqo and Aciturri, alongside its own proprietary battery and propeller technologies.