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£1.8 million awarded to projects at the cutting edge of transport innovation

Shapeshifting trailers and ‘swarm robotics’ are amongst a host of new ideas being chosen to help tackle some of the UK's most pressing transport challenges, like improving the efficiency of freight and decarbonising maritime.

A port scene shows cargo ships, trucks, and stacked containers. An airplane is flying overhead against a sunset sky, with city skyscrapers visible in the background.

October 7, 2025

The latest winners of the Transport Research Innovation Grants (TRIG) competition, which is run by Connected Places Catapult on behalf of the Department for Transport (DfT), have been published by the Government.

The innovators selected responded to a call for new ideas in areas including maritime decarbonisation and freight, with novel critical technologies being prioritised.

The 40 transport innovators selected will each receive a share of £1.8m, alongside business support from Connected Places Catapult to develop their solutions. Programme participants will benefit from engagement with the wider TRIG ecosystem, including networking with alumni of the programme for peer-to-peer mentorship, access to a wide range of industry stakeholders and technical experts, as well as input from the newly announced TRIG Advisory Board.

Since 2014, the TRIG programme has invested over £17 million across more than 470 projects to support organisations in the pursuit of new technologies and collaborations – helping deliver key economic growth throughout the country. Over the last 10 years, the solutions funded by TRIG have raised over £90m in further grant investment and secured £90m in private investment.

See the announcement from Minister Mather, here

“Innovative solutions will deliver quicker, greener, safer, more inclusive and smarter transport systems and services, as well as unlock huge value for the national and regional economies in the UK. By supporting this group of businesses and academics, we will accelerate their path to commercialisation and increase their impact.”

Sameer Savani, Managing Director for Transport at Connected Places Catapult

See the complete list of TRIG winners for more information, here.

Read the stories of previous TRIG winners:

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