Maritime Accelerator 2023 Cohort Brochure
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News
Decarbonisation and automation innovators join Maritime Accelerator as Royal Navy confirms support
AI supply chain management, autonomous security drones and emission reduction technologies are among the innovations selected to receive expert support.
Connected Places Catapult, the UK’s innovation accelerator for cities, transport, and place leadership, today announced the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) selected to take part in the 2023 Maritime Accelerator.
The companies selected are developing technologies that respond to challenges in the sector around automation and decarbonisation. These areas of focus were identified by the programme partners: DP World Southampton; Houlder; Maersk; the National Shipbuilding Office; Port of Tyne; Serco and the University of Plymouth. These partners have recently been joined by the Royal Navy, which has agreed to provide support to SMEs on the accelerator.
“The Royal Navy is a major user of the UK’s port facilities and maintains an active interest in the development of new technologies that can give our vessels, operations and supporting infrastructure a strategic advantage. By collaborating with Connected Places Catapult we hope to provide subject matter experts on the Accelerator with valuable access and insights to help them develop their innovations.”Commodore John Voyce, Commanding Officer of HM Naval Base Portsmouth
Over the next three months, the cohort of SMEs will receive bespoke business development, investment readiness and technical support from Connected Places Catapult. They will also gain access to expertise and insights from the programme partners, and an opportunity to explore and design trials with them, funded through the accelerator where applicable.
Meet the SMEs selected for the Maritime Accelerator:
Cargo Stream UK provides a platform that encompasses essential management and integrates AI for the maritime and land transportation industries.
Geospatial Insight brings together data analytics with satellite imagery to help clients in the maritime sector to monitor air quality and greenhouse gas emissions.
Mission Zero Technologies develops negative emissions solutions to recover CO₂ from the atmosphere for circular use or permanent removal.
PurEmissions has developed filtration technology that allows vessels and ports to meet strict emission limits and reduce their carbon footprint.
Unitrove Innovation provides zero emission fuelling infrastructure such as green liquid hydrogen, green compressed gaseous hydrogen and renewable electricity for maritime applications.
Unmanned Life has developed a software platform known as U-Security that deploys autonomous drones for security surveillance at port facilities.
“Decarbonisation and operational efficiency through automation are top of the agenda for many companies in the maritime sector and the UK has a rich tradition of leading the way in the development of new maritime technologies. Working with our partners, we’re helping the sector to continue this tradition by supporting innovative companies to rise to today’s challenges and build tomorrow’s solutions.”Mark Wray, Ecosystem Director for Maritime and Ports at Connected Places Catapult
News
Carbon reduction champions shortlisted in National Highways programme
Innovative low carbon approaches to road construction and maintenance will receive funding and business support.
Seven companies have been selected to join a carbon reduction competition organised by National Highways and Connected Places Catapult.
Innovative ideas put forward to proceed to the second phase of the National Highways Accelerating Low Carbon Innovation Programme include a climbing robot that carries out structural inspections, ‘smart fibre’ plastic bridge beams that monitor structural performance and low carbon fencing materials.
Each shortlisted company will receive between £15,000 and £30,000 to develop their proposals in collaboration with National Highways and several Tier 1 suppliers. Connected Places Catapult will provide coaching, help with marketing strategy and investment support.
The seven companies and their ideas making it through to the next stage of the competition are:
Asset International Structures (Cwmbran) – Developing smart fibre reinforced plastic bridge beams that incorporate optical fibre, enabling structural performance monitoring in real time.
Circular11 (Ferndown) – Providing durable, low carbon fencing and acoustic insulation products; turning mixed low-grade plastic waste into composite material.
HausBots (Birmingham) – Delivering a series of structural inspections using a unique climbing and crawling robot fitted with inspection sensors.
Loopcycle (London) – Creation of a whole life carbon measurement and circular economy tool for use across highway estate assets.
Low Carbon Materials (Seaham) – Delivering a carbon negative aggregate for use in carbon neutral asphalt.
PRG (Scotland) (Hamilton) – Turning waste tyres into useful materials such as a bitumen-like substance for use in road construction and repairs.
Xeroc (London) – Recycling old concrete into new concrete, returning each component to its original form with as little contamination as possible.
Alex Weedon, Executive Director, Connected Places Catapult, SME Development and Academic Engagement said: “National Highways’ goal of achieving net zero emissions involves finding innovative solutions to support decarbonisation, particularly in the maintenance and construction of the strategic road network.
“Connected Places Catapult is proud to have been chosen as a delivery partner for this accelerator project. We look forward to supporting the SMEs in the development of their solutions, and turning bright ideas into commercial products and services.”Alex Weedon, Executive Director, Connected Places Catapult, SME Development and Academic Engagement
National Highways aims for its maintenance and road construction activities to generate net zero emissions by 2040.
The competition set four challenges for innovative companies to address with their new ideas: alternative materials; decision making enablers for asset management and the whole life value of assets; enablers for the circular economy; and an open challenge.
“We want to speed up innovation within our sector and adopt new solutions. The innovation accelerator will help take potential solutions and drive them through the research and testing phases.”Dr Joanna White, National Highways Roads Development Director
National Highways Accelerating Low Carbon Innovation Programme Cohort Brochure
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Project
Unlocking the Value Chain of EVs and Micromobility in India
Unlocking the Value Chain of EVs and Micromobility in India has the goal of fostering mutually beneficial relationships between UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and Indian stakeholders within the electric vehicles (EVs) and micromobility sectors.
This initiative, funded by Innovate UK, is dedicated to working with Indian subnational governments to address the key challenges that hinder the wider adoption of EVs and the transition to net zero across India. In doing so, we aim to create valuable opportunities for UK innovators to access India’s rapidly growing market.
Project Objectives
Our project is designed to achieve the following key objectives:
- Identify and Validate Market Challenges: We will work closely with Indian stakeholders to identify and validate critical market challenges and gaps in the EV and micromobility sectors that need to be addressed.
- Select Innovative UK SMEs: We will identify and select UK-based SMEs that offer innovative solutions to address these identified market gaps and challenges, ensuring they are well-positioned to meet the needs of the Indian market.
- Facilitate Knowledge Exchange: Through a series of knowledge exchange events, we will provide UK SMEs with the necessary tools, information, and insights to effectively collaborate with Indian stakeholders.
- Promote Long-Term Partnerships: Our program is committed to promoting sustainable, long-term partnerships between UK SMEs and local stakeholders in academia, industry, and government across India.
Our Vision
We envision a future where India’s journey towards net zero is accelerated by cutting-edge solutions from UK innovators. By unlocking the value chain of EVs and micromobility, we aim to support bilateral trade, drive investment, and foster equitable and inclusive economic growth in both nations. Through this programme, we are not just addressing immediate market needs but also laying the foundation for enduring collaborations that benefit all involved.
This initiative is being implemented by Connected Places Catapult in collaboration with the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office in India, and local partners. Join us in shaping the future of sustainable mobility in India and beyond.
Contact the project team
If you’d like to work with us or find out more, please email aline.martins@cp.catapult.org.uk
events
Connected Places Networking Reception at UKREiiF
Join local government, built environment leaders, and regional, national and international investors to close Day 1 UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF)
Event finished: 16th May 2023
Connected Places Catapult is pleased to invite you to the Connected Places Networking Reception, an official UKREiiF event.
Meet existing and new key stakeholders and industry experts, national and international local government, investment community and built environment stakeholders driving the levelling up agenda, innovation and green finance. You’ll learn more about the Cities Commission for Climate Investment (3Ci) and Connected Places Catapult flagship initiatives in the levelling up and green finance agenda.
Venue: The Royal Armouries Museum, Armouries Drive, LS10 1LT, Leeds
Room: The Tournament Gallery
Places are limited to 200 attendees only. If you would like to attend please register your interest as soon as possible and we will get back to you if you have been successful.
Please note that to attend this reception you need to have a valid UKREiiF delegate pass. If you don’t, unfortunately you won’t be able to attend.
news
Innovations sought to help National Highways on road to net zero
Applications to a National Highways competition seeking new approaches to reducing emissions associated with road construction and maintenance are now open.
Funding to develop innovative trials of net zero carbon approaches to road construction and maintenance will be offered to up to ten small to medium sized businesses in a competition launched today by National Highways and Connected Places Catapult.
Phase one of the National Highways Accelerating Low Carbon Innovation Programme will see winning UK based firms awarded between £15,000 and £30,000 each to develop feasibility studies in collaboration with the strategic road operator and its tier one suppliers.
Phase two will see further funding of up to £80,000 provided to support a selected number of organisations to trial their solutions.
Applicants are invited to put forward proposals that address at least one of three challenges:
- Development or application of alternative materials and techniques;
- Innovations that can improve asset management decision-making;
- Innovations which can contribute to reusing, redeploying and recycling construction materials and assets.
There is also an open challenge category for other ideas that can contribute to National Highways’ target of zero emissions in maintenance and construction by 2040.
Up to five larger tier one organisations will also be selected to develop net zero solutions either on their own or in collaboration with an SME, but will not be eligible for funding as part of the programme.
Firms interested in putting themselves forward for the competition have until midnight on 30 April to enter.
The aim of the competition is to reach a wider pool of innovators, exploring firms with potential outside of National Highways’ existing supply chain, that promise to make a difference in lowering its carbon footprint.
“National Highways’ Accelerating Low Carbon Innovation Programme is open to companies of all sizes – from tier one firms developing solutions in-house or collaborating with SMEs, to smaller businesses who do not always get the chance to interface with large clients – to showcase their innovative ideas and see how they can be scaled up.”Connected Places Catapult’s Executive Director for SME Development & Academic Engagement, Alex Weedon
The innovation accelerator seeks to take new materials and solutions described as being ‘low maturity’ and put them through a consistent, standardised process of prioritisation, feasibility and initial trialling, with the aim of assessing viability for wider testing and adoption.
Successful firms will be offered coaching and help with marketing strategy and investment support, as well as trial design training, deployment support, trial monitoring and evaluation. There will also be the chance to take part in a demonstration day for investors, industry and potential customers and ten months’ tailored business support.
“We want to speed up innovation within our sector and adopt new solutions. The innovation accelerator will help take potential solutions and drive them through the research and testing phases.”National Highways Roads Development Director, Dr Joanna White
events
8th annual Sustainability Week
Empowering businesses to accelerate action on sustainability
Event finished: 31st March 2023
Join over 1000 leaders, businesses, financiers, investors, NGOs and policymakers in London and more than 4,500 attendees online to ensure you are part of the sustainable future.
events
Sustainable Innovation Forum at COP27
Be part of the COP journey by joining us.
Event finished: 10th November 2022
Together with Climate action we have created a discussion panel titled From Global to Local: “Climate change will be won and lost in cities”. You will hear from 3Ci speakers such as Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol or Susan Aitken, Councillor of Glasgow how we can maximise collaboration between cities to ignite new global innovations and how cities are driving systematic change using innovative financing techniques, smart policies and digital technologies to develop a climate smart and resilient built environment.
The panel will be screened live on Thursday 10 November 2022 at 12:25.
Don’t miss out this important discussion and register to hear more.
events
Mapping a route to Local Clean Growth: Report Launch and Workshops
Event finished: 16th November 2022
Localis’s project on local clean growth seeks to investigate what places can do, and what they need to be able to do, to unlock routes to clean growth in their area.
Our report, aimed at local growth practitioners, policy makers and industry partners maps and explains what good clean growth should look like in the context of local industrial strategy.
The event will be used to share the findings, debate the opportunities and explore through workshops and breakout sessions emerging good practice in clean growth.
Refreshments and a networking lunch will be provided.
Clean Local Growth – The Opportunity
Localis’ research project on local clean growth is investigating what places can do, and what they need to be able to do, to unlock routes to clean growth in their area.
Clean growth will represent different opportunities and challenges in different areas. How effectively the clean growth and net zero agenda for decarbonisation delivers inclusive growth and equitable outcomes throughout England depends on local areas using powers they already have to successfully navigate this transition.
Our report, aimed at local growth practitioners, policy makers and industry partners, will map and explain what good clean growth should look like in the context of the journey of decarbonisation and the route to attaining net zero. We hope to provide pathways and direction for local stakeholders to work together to respond positively to the issues they face in moving to a net zero economy.
The event will be used to share key report findings, debate the opportunities and explore through workshops and breakout sessions emerging good practice in clean growth.
events
Economist Impact 2nd Sustainability Week: Countdown to COP27
Join 3Ci on the panel 'Governments Pledge, Cities Deliver'
Event finished: 6th October 2022
Countdown COP27 will gather experts to provide practical ideas to help you move faster. The 2nd annual Sustainability Week: Countdown to COP27 aims to prepare you for the event, refine your sustainability strategy, getting you ahead of your competition to become sustainable, and faster. Economist Impact offers an independent guide to sustainability, will help you cut through the topic noise, evaluate other organisations’ climate change commitments and set your strategy for 2023.
Connected Places Catapult is pleased to become a partner of Economist Impact Events’ 2nd annual Sustainability Week: Countdown to COP27.
Join us and other 8,000+ attendees online and 500+ in London to ensure you are part of the sustainable future. Hear more from our experts on the panel on ‘Governments Pledge, Cities Deliver’ on 3 October at 4.35pm.
The appetite for investing in net zero projects is there. The mechanisms to enable these investment flows is what is still missing. The UK is pioneering a new approach to stimulate collaboration between city leaders and urban investors to enable investment flows and support the transition to net zero. How can this model be replicated internationally? How can collaboration between local and national government, industry and financial institutions be ensured? What are the best ways to innovate in financial models, along with testing and deploying them to secure investment?
Use our discount code CPC/S15 to book your delegate pass.
