Active Travel Summit

The Active Travel Summit aims to celebrate and accelerate the UK active travel market. By convening innovators, city leaders, transport authorities, active travel commissioners, central government, business leaders and world-leading academics, we will open a space to explore current blockers and propose new mechanisms to unlock the full potential of active travel to power the shift to healthy, low carbon mobility. 

The Summit will feature TeamGB stars like Dame Sarah Storey - Active Travel Commissioner for the Sheffield City Region - and her London equivalent, Will Norman, with business leaders like Will Butler Adams from Brompton Bikes, Arup’s Susan Claris and innovative property developers like Harry Badham and Roger Madelin of Hammerson and British Land respectively. The new Chief Scientific Advisor to the Department for Transport, Professor Sarah Sharples and Professor Rachel Aldred of the Active Travel Academy will bring to life the UK’s leading role in related fields of science and research. 

Together with industry and place leaders, we want to develop an ambitious, coordinated and directed active travel programme that will grow the UK active travel market and drive jobs, enterprise, innovation, investment, and trade opportunities. There are many definitions of Active Travel. At the Catapult we take an inclusive approach which broadly covers any means of getting from A to B where your legs, arms and heart do their fair share of the work. 

The Connected Places Catapult is taking the lead on accelerating solutions by identifying opportunities and tackling the challenges faced by this high-potential industry. We recognise that the opportunities created by walking, cycling, running, wheeling and scooting in the UK are huge. We can open up new forms of active travel to people across the country, decarbonise transport, accelerate net zero, transform our roads and streets, create attractive people-friendly places, address the obesity crisis, and improve mental health.

UK businesses are building an enormously diverse range of products and services that make active travel a thriving, high-growth and forward-facing sector. Given global investment and rapid policy and regulatory shifts at national, regional and city government level this presents a substantial export potential – cutting across multiple sectors where the UK has a strong global reputation like design, masterplanning, engineering, project finance, insurance and other high-value consultancy. This is driven by fundamental and applied research and a rapid technology curve, not least in terms of battery technology and electric mobility. From apps that guide journeys, bikes that can be carried on trains, to scooters that can fold under a desk, e-bikes that flatten the hardest of hills, and light electric vehicles (LEVs) that can deliver to your door using only pedal power - the UK is at the forefront of the hardware and software of the active travel revolution. This has the potential to thrive and scale in what Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called ‘a new golden age’ in cycling, walking and active mobility. 

The Active Travel Summit brings together a cross-section of stakeholders vital to accelerating the active travel agenda and unlocking the full potential of the active travel market, from decision-makers and planners in government, cities and towns, through to the investment community, small and large businesses, academia, strategic bodies and not-for-profit organisations. 

Why Attend  

If you are innovating in the Active Travel market, we want to find ways to celebrate and showcase your work. We want to give you the space to be inspired and to highlight opportunities with the people who might be able to help. 

If you are an investor or an owner of big strategic challenges relating to Active Travel, we want you to explore the role of Collaborative Research & Development (CR&D) and the innovation market. 

If you are a place leader, transport authority or decision maker, we want to provide a space for you to explore how you can better leverage the power of the UK’s rich and diverse Active Travel innovation market. You will discuss with peers how you might share requirements, collectively approach problems or share challenges with the market.  

No matter who you are, we want you to leave inspired by this celebration of British innovation in Active Travel, ready to play your part in helping the industry step (and ride) up yet another gear.