Government Opens £1.8 Million Competition to Drive Innovation and Decarbonization in Transport
The UK government has launched a new competition worth £1.8 million to support innovative solutions in the transportation sector, with a focus on decarbonization. The Transport Research and Innovation Grant (TRIG) competition aims to stimulate economic growth while finding ways to reduce carbon emissions in the transport industry.
The latest round of funding through the TRIG competition is now open, and winners can receive grants of up to £45,000 per project, an increase from previous amounts. This funding round will explore various areas, including decarbonizing airport operations and utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance transport efficiency and affordability.
The Connected Places Catapult (CPC), which delivers the TRIG competition, will award grants to businesses that develop research and provide solutions to pressing transport issues, particularly decarbonization. Last year, the TRIG competition funded 67 projects, ranging from personalized navigation apps for disabled passengers to freight robots at ports, generating employment opportunities and contributing to economic growth nationwide.
Jesse Norman, the Technology Minister, emphasized the success of the TRIG funding over the past decade in spurring innovative ideas to address future transport challenges. He believes that innovation is crucial in improving transport across the UK, enhancing people’s lives, and creating job opportunities.
The TRIG competition is seeking proposals that focus on the following areas:
– Decarbonization of transportation
– Future mobility solutions
– Airport operations
– Maritime and ports
– Intelligent transport systems
– Freight and logistics efficiency
– Rail and connected infrastructure
– Transport security and resilience
Since its inception in 2014, TRIG has awarded over £12 million to 361 projects. Previous winners have introduced pioneering initiatives, including community car-sharing in rural areas and the development of IONA Drones, a drone solution for efficient and sustainable autonomous deliveries in rural logistics.
Nicola Yates OBE, CEO of the Connected Places Catapult, highlighted the support provided by transport research and innovation grants to budding innovators, enabling them to realize their commercial potential. This year’s increased funding per project offers innovators access to more resources to further develop their ideas. She encouraged all individuals or organizations with innovative transport solutions to apply for the TRIG competition.
Edge Innovation, a previous TRIG grant recipient, expressed gratitude for the program, which helped them transform their concept into a tangible product. They emphasized the user-friendly application and monitoring processes, as well as the support from CPC and the Department for Transport.
Etienne Louvet, CEO of IONA Drones, credited TRIG and the CPC network for assisting their research and development efforts. They acknowledged the scarcity of funding for industrial technologies and appreciated the continued collaboration in pursuing further opportunities.
Interested individuals and businesses can now submit their applications for the TRIG competition. This initiative aims to drive innovation and decarbonization in the transport sector while contributing to the growth of the UK economy.
Sources:
– TRIG Competition (Government Website) – Provide a link
– Connected Places Catapult (Official Website) – Provide a link
– Edge Innovation (Official Website) – Provide a link
