Menapia Hosts Shadow Chancellor Rt Hon Rachel Reeves
On December 14th 2023, Menapia proudly hosted the Shadow Chancellor, Rt Hon Rachel Reeves, at our Leeds headquarters. The highlight was introducing the MetSprite, our advanced wxUAS (weather un-crewed aerial system). More than just a drone, the MetSprite represents a significant leap in weather forecasting and climate monitoring capabilities, offering unprecedented cost-efficiency compared to existing solutions.
Menapia's Mission: Elevating Weather Forecasts and Climate Monitoring
Our mission blends innovations in meteorology, technology, and airspace safety. We're focused on integrating wxUAS into the global observing system to drastically improve weather forecasting accuracy.
As well as the immeasurable benefits to public safety, the potential economic impact is staggering: each 1% improvement in forecasting skill could add approximately 15 million GBP annually to the UK's economy (Met Office).
Our global vision extends this innovation beyond the UK, empowering nations worldwide to elevate their weather forecasting for enhanced public safety and economic growth.
Bridging Innovation and Policy
A key aspect of Rachel's visit was discussing how Menapia, as a leader in technology for public good, can more effectively collaborate with policymakers. We emphasised the importance of enhanced atmospheric data from technologies like ours in improving decision-making, especially in areas such as climate change and air quality. This conversation is vital in positioning innovative technologies as core elements in addressing global challenges.
A Flight to Remember: Rachel Reeves Pilots the MetSprite WxUAS
Rachel Reeves had the opportunity to remotely pilot a MetSprite flight from our HQ command unit in Leeds, 5 km away from the system flying at one of our outdoor test sites.
This showcased the ease of their operation and the advanced automation of our drones, highlighting our ability to scale-up the technology to a cost-effective network of wxUAS managed by a single operator.
Showcasing In-house Excellence
We also proudly demonstrated our state-of-the-art sensing capabilities, including our calibration chamber aligned with global reference standards for temperature and humidity, mirroring the traceability of the Met Office ground-based weather stations.
This underlined our dedication to precision and accuracy in atmospheric measurement.
Looking Ahead with Optimism
Our engagement with Rachel Reeves was an opportunity to present our current successes and share our vision for the future. Menapia is committed to leading in public safety and economic advancement through ongoing enhancements in weather forecasting. We welcome future visits from Rachel and other policymakers to see our continued growth as pioneers in this critical sector.
As Menapia evolves and breaks new ground, we stay dedicated to our goal of accelerating weather understanding and prediction skill. We invite you to join us on this journey towards a future where research, forecasts and decisions are elevated through improved meteorological insights.
