Creating sustainable communities: Innovative approaches to urban spaces, place making and delivery

Making Funding Models Work: Seizing Hydrogen Investment Opportunities

With the Hydrogen Innovation Initiative (HII) Seed project concluding in March 2025, what are the current and upcoming investment opportunities to capitalise on? Meet some of the investors leading the way.

Towards a multimodal vision for innovation in transport

The business case for transport investment

How is the investment landscape evolving and what are its implications to the transport investment lifecycle? What are some of the emerging opportunities to improve coordination? Hear from angel investors, venture capitalists, family offices, pension funds, insurers and large institutional investors, SME’s and academics.

Lunch

Connect & Spark Break

i3P – The Infrastructure Industry Innovation Partnership session 5

How cities & investors are working together: Sheffield & Bristol Case studies

Building on the earlier session around how cities can build fundable cases for investment, we now sit down with representatives from two UK Local Authorities – Sheffield and Bristol – who have successfully launched projects with private investors.

Connect & Spark Break

i3P – The Infrastructure Industry Innovation Partnership session 8

Closing Address

Accelerating progress through UK National Data Sharing Infrastructure

The Transformation of Place through Digital Infrastructure and Planning

What are the new opportunities stemming from planning reform? How can the built environment sector leverage standardised digital infrastructure and data-driven decision making to optimise planning? How will increased cross-government collaboration and the devolution of funding impact the future of place shaping?

Connect & Spark Break

Innovation Pitch Session

Technology Keynote Address

What do we want future generations to experience and how do we create this future by leveraging the power of tech?

Showcase Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure (ZEHID) final deliverables

i3P – The Infrastructure Industry Innovation Partnership session 4

Innovation pitch session

AI and digital twins: In conversation with The Lord Clement-Jones CBE

Given the UK Governments recent announcement on the role of AI in our society, how can this technology be used to overcome technical and socio-technical challenges to connecting digital twins, and what value could this bring to managing systems or critical Infrastructure to benefit people and places.

Welcome Remarks

Digital twins for the climate emergency

In the context of extreme weather events, what role do technology and connected data play in improving climate adaptation? What are some of the key efforts in decarbonising existing properties, and how can existing assets be re-purposed into homes? Join this session to discover CReDo, a pioneering climate change adaptation digital twin project which places collaboration front and centre. 

i3P – The Infrastructure Industry Innovation Partnership session 7

Towards a federated network of transport systems

With the Transport Research and Innovation Board (TRIB) Roadmap becoming a reality, what is the transport sector doing to become better connected? What are some of the benefits to business and to society derived from connecting digital twins in transport systems of the future?

Registration and Exhibition

HS2 Accelerator Session

Seeing is believing – In Conversation with Firebox Asset Owners

Join this showcase session to hear from infrastructure owners and discover the different Firebox challenges, including the greatest challenges they faced, the impact of digital transformation and how they are developing business cases for digital twins across their respective organisations.

Design to Deliver Panel session

Department for Transport session 2

Innovation plays a key role in delivering the missions of improving rail performance, transforming Britain’s transport infrastructure, and delivering greener transport. How are the sector’s innovation leaders shaping the new strategy and how is this new approach different? What can we learn from the history of innovation to ensure we stay on track and deliver real change? Explore the key themes and get involved in this thought-provoking co-designing session.

Lunch

Innovation Pitch Session

Transforming lives by transforming our homes

Spotlight on West Midlands

Department of Transport session 4

Innovation Pitch Session

Discover the Freight Innovation Fund Accelerator

This session celebrates the achievements of 10 innovative SMEs who have worked on cutting-edge solutions to drive sustainability and efficiency in the freight sector. Discover the outcomes of their real-world trials conducted with industry leaders such as DHL, Wincanton and Maritime Transport, and hear what’s next for their companies as they continue to innovate and grow. This is a moment to reflect on their journey and the programme’s transformative impact on the sector

What is the future of place-making and the built environment?

The future success of place-making lies in collaborative partnerships that reimagine our built environment as interconnected ecosystems. By bringing together diverse stakeholders from the public and private sector, including urban planners, developers, land owners, and community leaders, we can create spaces that are not only sustainable and resilient but also adaptive to evolving social needs. 

Tech for transport

A Cross-sectoral View to Accelerating Progress: UK National Data Sharing Infrastructure

Join this session exploring how progress will be accelerated collectively across sectors, including energy, water, transport, and communications. How can the work OfGem is spearheading, best be replicated and connected cross-sectorally? (

In Conversation with Andy Lord

National Highways Innovation Day Hazards Protection on Roads

Grand Challenge Spotlight: The future of mobility to connect places, increase social mobility and deliver economic renewal

Join the conversation to find out how the Department for Transport works collaboratively and cross-sector to break down silos and empower transport sectors to achieve their missions. What are the key cross-sector programmes to transform infrastructure and create greener, fully integrated transport networks? 

Freight Innovation Fund Cluster: Catalysing the development of freight and logistics in the UK

The Freight Innovation Cluster is a key programme within the Department for Transport’s Freight Innovation Fund Programme. This session is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate the catalysing role played by the freight innovation cluster. From innovation support and stakeholder engagement, to technology stacking, investment readiness and innovation procurement training, the cluster has helped 350+) SMEs within freight and logistics advance across TRLs, reaching excellent results. You’ll hear success stories and pose questions on how best the cluster supports the development of the freight and logistics industry in the UK, leveraging collaborative innovation and research. 

Freight Innovation Fun Demo Day

Spotlight on Liverpool

Fireside chat: How is the Government investing in Net Zero?

Funding the net zero transition comes with significant challenges. How is the government investing in net zero and what are the opportunities for the private sector?

Digital Innovation Futures

How can the UK’s regions help kickstart the economy?

How are regional economies shaping connected places and using innovation to boost economic growth and create new opportunities for communities? How will transport networks evolve with greater local decision-making authority?

Panel: insights and ambitions of key government departments for integrated rural transportation

Join government leaders as they share insights and strategies shaping the future of seamless, integrated transportation for rural communities.

Ministerial Address: Accelerating decarbonisation, autonomy, and accessibility in aviation and maritime

Building the Future: Aligning Procurement with Innovation Goals

Public authorities and Tier 1 suppliers come together in an interactive workshop to tackle pressing challenges in aligning procurement with innovation missions. Using insights from The Procuring Innovation Playbook and Practical Guide to Pre-Market Engagement, this session offers actionable guidance on embedding innovation within procurement processes and enabling pre-market engagement that drives new solutions.

Registration and Exhibition

Panel: What can cities offer investors and what are investors looking for?

Cities need private investment – but how can they create an attractive offer from their demonstrators and pipelines? This session explores how cities can craft an appealing case for private funding, as well as what needs to be done next to achieve progress. 

Day 2 Learnings & Summit Closing Remarks

Innovating for rural mobility: SME case studies from the Rural Transportation Accelerator

Discover ground breaking solutions trailed in the DfT Rural Transportation Accelerator to bridge rural connectivity gaps and enhance sustainable access to NHS essential services.

Networking Drinks Reception

How is energy becoming greener and more affordable?

How are energy optimization and usage being understood, and is this helping energy affordability?

Day One Learnings & Closing Remarks

Building the towns of tomorrow

What will the towns of tomorrow look like given the New Towns Code, what have we learnt from the past and where do we even start? How do we ensure the towns of the future are technologically enabled? What are the UK’s new growth corridors and how can they support new cities and towns to better scale and accommodate more population? 

Networking Drinks Reception

National Highways Innovation Day Hazards Protection on Road

i3P – The Infrastructure Industry Innovation Partnership session 6

Spotlights Wrap up Address

CReDo Session

Social impact in transportation: the case study of Rural Transportation Accelerator

Explore how how to measure and magnify the social impact of your project through the lens of the DfT Rural Transportation Accelerator’s work.

Accelerating Decarbonisation across Transport sectors

How are improvements in maritime, and the introduction of electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft improving regional connectivity and stimulating new jobs and economic growth?

The new innovation imperative for cities and regions

With increased local decision-making powers and stronger, mission-driven partnerships with national government, what are the new innovation opportunities for City Leaders and Metro Mayors? How are devolved regions contributing to UK plc / the Industrial Strategy and what are the global opportunities being created? Join this session to explore how leaders are using innovation to tackle challenges including productivity, migration, and the imperative to grow local economies. 

Innovation Pitch Session

i3P – The Infrastructure Industry Innovation Partnership session 2

Connect & Spark Break

Visit the Exhibition and Meet the Partners

Spotlight on Sheffield and South Yorkshire

Hitachi Session

Where now for transport-oriented development?

What role do transport-oriented development and transport interchanges play in addressing the pressing needs posed by increasing urban density? Join this session to hear from leaders using transport to shape the development of urban places.

Opening remarks: an innovation strategy to tackle the next decade’s pressing place-based challenges

Fireside chat: How do we boost investment in net zero and green growth?

The National Wealth Fund is designed to derisk investments in innovative assets to achieve net zero and generate international competitive advantage. What are the key investment priorities to deliver this ambitious investment agenda? What public-private sector investment models are taking shape?

Digital twins for tomorrow’s homes

How can we best harness the power of digital twins to accelerate the planning and delivery of healthy, sustainable homes?

i3P – The Infrastructure Industry Innovation Partnership session 3

Putting passengers at the heart of transport: Improving accessibility in rail and aviation

In Conversation with Alistair Dormer

Spotlight on South East Wales

Introduction to Regional Innovation Economies

Showcasing Maritime Accelerator SMEs

i3P – The Infrastructure Industry Innovation Partnership session 1

Procuring Innovation: Leveraging Public Spend to Shape Tomorrow’s Markets

Public procurement is a critical lever for governments. Explore how strategic public procurement can shape markets to strengthen innovation systems and achieve your missions faster and more effectively With £380bn in annual public procurement spend, the UK public sector wields significant influence to foster innovation and create market opportunities This session explores how aligning strategic public procurement with innovation missions can accelerate societal impact and economic growth. Drawing on findings from the IPEC First Annual Sentiment Analysis, discover how we are demystifying the barriers in procurement and leveraging innovation as a catalyst for transformative change