News

£1.95m will fund 51 projects to improve the UK’s transport system

Aerial view of a busy shipping port at sunset, featuring numerous shipping containers, docked cargo ships, cranes, and surrounding infrastructure. The sun is low on the horizon, casting a warm light.

Connected Places Catapult is delighted to be delivering the Department for Transport’s (DfT) 2021 Transport Research Innovation Grants (TRIG) Programme.

TRIG is a scheme that enables the DfT to fully fund proof-of-concept research projects in support of innovative ideas or concepts that facilitate a better transport system. Since 2019, Connected Places Catapult has delivered a total of six TRIG programmes that have channelled over £4.5m into small businesses and universities.

This has allowed entrepreneurs and academics on the front line of innovation to develop new technologies, products and services that will enhance the way we travel.

Through TRIG 2021, £1.95m will fund 51 projects that fall within three key challenge areas (in addition to our traditional Open Call); the Future of Freight, Maritime Decarbonisation and COVID-19 Recovery and Resilient Transport Systems.

Within the Future of Freight challenge, the DfT has awarded 6 companies a higher grant of £100k each to enable technological advances resulting in the creation of minimum viable prototypes and subsequent testing.

Elsewhere in the programme, innovators are working on a variety of projects. Some of which include; enabling electric vehicle charging at scale, trialling a virtual reality hazard perception training tool for HGV drivers, and creating a planning tool for rural and urban mobility hubs.

“TRIG is a one-of-a-kind programme. It provides a mechanism to identify and support early stage innovation that might slip through the nets of traditional funding routes. Connected Places Catapult is extremely proud to deliver TRIG 2021, which is supporting over 50 innovators across four different challenges, including the future of freight, maritime decarbonisation, COVID 19 recovery and resilient transport systems. I am excited to see what great products and services arise
Rachel Gardner-Poole, Connected Places Catapult, Chief Operating Officer
u0022Innovation funded as part of TRIG could be the key to unlocking a more efficient and safer transport system for tomorrow.u0022u003cbru003eu003cbru003eu0022I support the ingenious ideas of this year's cohort every step of the way and wish the successful applicants all the very best.  I look forward to seeing the ideas develop to boost our green agenda and create high-skilled jobs across the UK.u0022
Transport Minister Trudy Harrison
Open Call

Calyo
City Science Corporation Limited
Digital Signs For Transport Ltd
Diode Group Limited
EcoCool
Esitu Solutions Limited
Evotrack Ltd
Flit (Cambridge) Limited
Go Eve Ltd
Honeycomb Network Ltd
Makesense Technology Limited
Nerds with Words Ltd.
Queen's University Belfast
RazorSecure Limited
Robotiz3d Limited
Signalbox Technologies Limited
Swansea University
TravelAi Ltd
University of Surrey
Vanguard Sustainable Transport Solutions Ltd.
Zipabout Limited

Covid 19 Recover and Resilient Transport Systems

AJEA Products Ltd
City Science Corporation
John Lamb Executive Solutions Ltd.
University of Strathclyde

Maritime Decarbonisation

ACUA Ocean
Armada Technologies Limited
Canal & River Trust
C-MAT TECHNOLOGIES
ECOMAR PROPULSION LIMITED
Industrial Systems and Control Limited
JET Engineering System Solutions Ltd
Malakoff Limited
Materials Nexus
MSE International
The University of Strathclyde
Unitrove Innovation Limited
University of Birmingham

Future of Freight - £100k

3Squared Ltd.
Anteam
CGA Simulation
Fishbone Solutions
Hypermile
Voltempo Limited

Future of Freight - £30k

Brunel University London
CurbCargo Limited
Cyth Limited
Kale Collective
London South Bank University
Mole Solutions Ltd
University of Cambridge

You can find out more about the cohort and their projects in our cohort brochure.

TRIG 2021 Cohort Brochure