Join us on 25 September 2025 (09:00 BST / 17:00 KST) as we shine a spotlight on the powerhouse of innovation in Ulsan, Republic of Korea.
Following our exploration of Birmingham’s ecosystem, this second webinar in the Innovation Twins series offers our UK audience an invaluable opportunity to connect with one of Korea’s leading industrial and technological cities. This session is designed for Birmingham-based companies, investors, and academic institutions keen to understand the opportunities for collaboration and partnership with Ulsan’s most promising innovators.
The session will be led by representatives from the Ulsan Creative Economy Innovation Centre (UCCEI), a key driver of the region’s start-up ecosystem. They will provide a comprehensive overview of Ulsan’s innovation landscape, highlighting its key industrial strengths, strategic direction, and the supportive environment it offers to businesses.
The centrepiece of this event will be the introduction of the Ulsan SMEs shortlisted for a funded (by the Korean Ministry of SMEs and Start ups) delegation to Birmingham Tech Week 2025. You will hear brief, compelling presentations from these cutting-edge companies, gaining first-hand insight into the technologies and solutions they are developing. The webinar will culminate in the official announcement of the final four companies selected for this prestigious opportunity, giving you a first look at the businesses set to make an impact in the UK market.
This is a unique chance to forge early connections, identify potential investment or partnership opportunities, and engage directly with the next wave of Korean innovators before their visit to Birmingham.
Please note: This webinar will be recorded and made available on the Distinctly Birmingham YouTube Channel following the event.
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Accelerating innovation with Digital Twin technologies
Since 2022, the Digital Twin (DT) Hub has become the leading convenor for digital twin expertise and collaboration worldwide.
Accelerating innovation with Digital Twin technologies
Hosted by Connected Places Catapult, we unite asset owners, government bodies, SMEs and innovators from nearly 100 countries – creating the largest and most influential digital twin community in the sector. Our growing membership of over 6,300 individuals and over 2,300 organisations benefits from our industry leadership, which includes senior voices from Accenture, Arup, National Highways, The Alan Turing Institute, and the Department for Transport. Through our convening role, we drive new opportunities for growth, learning and impact across the built environment, infrastructure, transport and beyond.
The challenge
As the global digital twin market accelerates, expected to grow by up to 45% a year to up to $195 billion by 20302, the UK stands at a pivotal moment. A recent economic analysis shows that in transport alone, integrated digital twin adoption could unlock at least £850 million over the next decade.
Yet, asset owners, government bodies and SMEs face significant barriers:
01
Commercial
High up-front investment, fragmented partnerships and complex procurement environments.
02
Technical
Legacy IT, broken data silos, low interoperability and pressing cyber-security gaps.
03
Cultural
Unclear value propositions and difficulty in achieving internal buy-in for digital transformation.
These challenges can only be overcome together by convening a trusted forum where priorities, standards and solutions can be shaped with direct industry input.
Accelerating innovation with Digital Twin technologies
Unlocking climate resilience through connected digital twins
The Climate Resilience Demonstrator (CReDO) connects data from across the energy, water, gas, and telecoms sectors to create a connected digital twin for system-wide scenario modelling and more effective risk mitigation and decision-making.
Unlocking climate resilience through connected digital twins
Climate change is amplifying risks to the UK’s critical infrastructure. Extreme rainfall, heatwaves, and storms are no longer rare events – they are becoming the norm.
Flooding and high winds can take down power lines and telecoms, cascading into failures across water supply, transport safety, and emergency response. Yet our national infrastructure networks – electricity, water, gas, and telecoms – are still managed in siloes. This lack of visibility across interdependent systems leaves operators and policymakers on the back foot, forced to react to crises rather than prevent them.
While digital twin technologies offer powerful solutions, their adoption is held back by barriers to secure, scalable, cross-sector data collaboration. The result is reactive crisis management instead of strategic resilience planning – leading to economic disruption, higher operational costs, and reduced public trust.
“Incorporating data from other infrastructure networks and utilities within existing systems will significantly enrich our insights, leading to better outcomes. To unlock the full potential of CReDo, we need more asset owners to get involved and collaborate effectively. ”
Richard Buckingham, Climate Change and Carbon Manager at Anglian Water
The challenge
Fragmented oversight: UK infrastructure networks are deeply interdependent yet typically managed and modelled in isolation. Critical data and digital assets remain locked within organisational silos, making it difficult to spot vulnerabilities that cut across sectors.
Cascading risks: Extreme weather can trigger cascading failures that ripple through multiple sectors. A flood disrupts power supply, which then compromises water and communications, amplifying risks for communities and business continuity.
Gaps in resilience: Progress on digital twins is promising, but without secure and scalable cross-sector connectivity, their potential remains unrealised. The result is piecemeal, reactive responses instead of coordinated strategies that build long-term resilience.
The solution
The Climate Resilience Demonstrator (CReDO), and its next evolution Climate Resilience Decision Optimiser, build on long-standing efforts to understand infrastructure interdependencies and cascading risks.
By connecting data from across the energy, water, gas, and telecoms sectors, CReDO creates a connected digital twin for system-wide scenario modelling and more effective risk mitigation and decision-making.
Led by Connected Places Catapult and delivered through partnership with infrastructure providers (including Anglian Water, BT, UK Power Networks, Science and Technology Facilities Council, Cadent Gas, National Grid, SP Energy Networks, and the University of Edinburgh), CReDO demonstrates the power of collective intelligence and secure data sharing in shaping a more resilient future.
Download the full case study to discover the impact of CReDo so far, and the exciting next steps.
Unlocking climate resilience through connected digital twins
London International Shipping Week is one of the biggest global maritime events in the calendar.
Connected Places Catapult is delighted to be an active partner of the event, celebrating our contribution to accelerating innovation in the UK’s Maritime sector.
Find out more below on the events we’re taking part in, plus some of our recent reports on coastal shipping, future fuels and more.
Meeting in London on 16 September, this gathering will bring together industry leaders, experts, and innovators to discuss the importance of resilience in the maritime sector.
We’ll be discussing key topics, including the impact of GNSS interference on maritime operations, and how robust global data standards form the backbone of safe, sustainable and resilient maritime operations, as well as delving into challenges related to autonomous vessels.
Richard Holland, Head of Maritime at Connected Places Catapult, will be presenting as Maritime Forum vice-chair.
We’ll hear also hear from Royal Institute of Navigation, ITS Norway, Peel Ports, and Zulu Associates, with more to be confirmed soon.
Maritime Innovation Day 2025 is an Innovate UK flagship event to showcase the Department for Transport’s pioneering environmental work in the maritime sector.
This year, Connected Places Catapult’s Head of Maritime Mark Wray will be speaking on the Maritime Investment panel.
We are also delighted to be exhibiting at the event, so please do stop by our stand to discuss the future of maritime innovation with us.
Connected Places Catapult has created an interactive blueprint which aims to accelerate the transition to future fuel adoption by producing a pathway to 2050 for UK ports and harbours.
This report explores how shifting more goods to coastal shipping can relieve pressure on road networks, reduce emissions, and support regional economic growth.
The UK Government made a pledge in the Clydebank Declaration at COP26 to establish six green shipping corridors by 2026. This report describes in detail a pathway to deliver, what could be the first in the UK, between Liverpool and Belfast.
The National Shipbuilding Office’s Centres of Excellence Task and Finish Group has launched a Centres of Excellence (CoE) Playbook, developed in collaboration with Connected Places Catapult.
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Unlocking place-based innovation through trusted data sharing
Connected Places Catapult is proud to share the insights and outcomes from its recent Data Sharing and Innovation roundtable, held in the Palace of Westminster.
Leading voices from across Government, academia, research and industry came together at the House of Lords on 21 July to explore the transformative role of data sharing in driving regional growth, innovation and public value.
As the UK’s innovation accelerator for transport, the built environment, cities and local growth, Connected Places Catapult works at the intersection of policy and market, helping to translate national priorities into scalable innovation. At the heart of this mission is Data & Digital capability, a multidisciplinary function building the foundations for smarter, more sustainable places. From the Digital Twin Hub and CReDo, to our work on data sharing infrastructure and cyber-physical systems, we are creating the ecosystem needed to unlock the power of data.
This latest roundtable is a cornerstone of this effort, providing a neutral, curated space for decision-makers to come together, share insight, challenge assumptions and collaboratively shape the future. Hosted by Merlin Hay, The Earl of Erroll, and facilitated by the Catapult and the Digital Twin Hub, the event focused on Unlocking place-based innovation and growth through data sharing infrastructure.
Framing the opportunity
The session took place just weeks after the Data Use and Access Act received Royal Assent, marking a major milestone in the UK’s data governance landscape. In this context, the session explored the practical, regulatory and cultural challenges of building a more connected, inter-operable national data ecosystem.
With a strategic focus on enabling local decision-making and economic opportunity, the roundtable examined the foundations for scalable, secure data sharing: standards, skills, governance, and infrastructure. Participants also discussed use cases across sectors, especially in energy, transport and the built environment, together with the need to build trust by demonstrating real-world value.
What emerged was a strong consensus: data sharing is no longer a technical challenge alone but a national strategic imperative.
Key insights and priorities
The roundtable findings, captured in the published working session report, identify immediate and long-term priorities. These include:
Establishing national leadership and governance frameworks with local relevance
Supporting SMEs and local innovation ecosystems with access to datasets
Investing in skills and digital infrastructure, especially at the local level
Developing mechanisms for fair value exchange and data monetisation
Creating flexible regulatory models that support experimentation and inter-operability
Crucially, participants emphasised that data sharing is a people and culture challenge. Overcoming barriers requires shared narratives, clear value propositions, and professional standards that give confidence to decision-makers and citizens alike.
The roundtable also highlighted the energy sector as a positive example, where regulatory support has driven real momentum. In contrast, sectors like transport and local government still face significant interoperability and infrastructure gaps. Supporting these sectors with tailored frameworks and investment will be critical in realising the full potential of data for place-based outcomes.
From insight to action
The working session report offers a rich set of strategic recommendations and outlines a roadmap for future collaboration. It also sets the stage for future roundtables and deeper engagement across sectors.
For Connected Places Catapult, these insights feed directly into our work to accelerate innovation that delivers public value. By convening expert dialogue, curating evidence and insight and supporting the adoption of trusted technologies, we are helping to unlock the potential of data as a shared national asset.
Whether through our ongoing development of the Digital Twin Hub, cross-sector programmes like DIATOMIC, or place-based projects that support local growth, we are committed to ensuring that data infrastructure and innovation work hand-in-hand to create fairer, more sustainable outcomes.
Download the report
We invite you to read the full working session report Unlocking place-based innovation and growth through data sharing infrastructure to explore the key findings, perspectives and recommendations from this important discussion.
For further information about our Data & Digital work, visit our Data & Digital page.
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Digital twins and AI: What next for transport connectivity?
Unlocking the ‘triplet’ of digital twins and AI will be a gamechanger for our transport systems, the Connected Places Summit heard.
“Connected digital twins provide a mechanism to view the world through the lens of how consumers experience a service,” remarked National Highways’ Chief Data Officer, Davin Crowley-Sweet in a session focused on development of a federated network of transport systems.
He spoke of big tech companies – such as Netflix – becoming “incredibly successful by pivoting their business models” to provide personalised customer experiences.
“What you will start to see from National Highways is we will become less a road operator and road builder, and more a customer service provider.”
Davin added that transport operators must also “move to a model where you are not competing with other forms of transport – like sibling rivalry – where it is us versus trains”.
Davin Crowley-Sweet, National Highways’ Chief Data Officer (far left) on a panel discussing a federated network of transport systems
He said it was “strange” that transport is often structured around operational boundaries, rather than the purpose of connecting the country and creating journeys, especially as all journeys on National Highways roads begin on local authority routes and some trips involve not just a car, but possibly a train, bus and walking too.
It is important to think collectively about how best to increase capacity – whether that is building a road or a railway, he added. “We can only do that if we are sharing data, and not viewing the success of our organisations through the immediate boundary of our organisational structures” but rather aligning with “a common set of goals we agree to, based around users of a service”.
“You might think connected digital twins are flashy tech, but they are not. It is fundamentally shifting the perspective of how we operate for the user of services, as opposed to the internal views of how do we get better at using data to design, build, manage and operate a piece of infrastructure.”
Davin Crowley-Sweet, National Highways’ Chief Data Officer
Digital twins becoming ‘digital triplets’
Another session heard Lord Tim Clement-Jones CBE, a Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Artificial Intelligence, discuss AI and digital twins.
He said that AI was “the missing bit of the digital twin – it’s the digital triplet” and that the “possibilities of improvement are huge” to help with innovation.
He added: “Politicians desperately need educating that regulation is not all bad.”
Businesses tend to like “clarity, consistency and certainty when it comes to the adoption of new technology” but said the Government “seems to think that growth is being held back by regulation”. He recognises the need to “cut red tape as much as possible”, but warned against scrapping regulations built up over the last 20 years as a means to encourage professionals to innovate.
He spoke instead of the importance of encouraging the ‘animal spirits’ of entrepreneurs.
“You can have all the de-regulation you like, but you have got to create enthusiasm – and I don’t think we have enough going yet. Government has got to do more, and it isn’t about giving our regulators a hard time.”
Lord Tim Clement-Jones CBE, a Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Artificial Intelligence
Lord Tim Clement-Jones was asked by Dr Alison Vincent CBE, Chair of the Digital Twin Hub Board, and a Non-Executive Director at Connected Places Catapult if the UK should own its own AI ‘supercomputer’ to make the country less reliant on others.
He replied there is “quite a lot to be said for sovereign capacity” in areas such as cloud services to reduce dependency on a handful of large tech firms in America. “Once you are inside the system, there is no escape, and having some sovereign capacity and not being bound to a Silicon Valley company is useful. There needs to be a more competitive environment.”
Lord Tim Clement-Jones also described the sector’s start-up culture as “great” but added “where we go wrong is the growth; it is the scale-up aspect where we are really weak – and we don’t have the risk takers.”
He spoke of his support for so-called ‘sandboxing’ which allows for innovation to be tried without falling foul of regulation at the development stage, and added there could be merit in broadening public understanding of the issues around AI and data.
“The phrase ‘digital twins’ is known by the industry, but if you use the phrase to somebody out there (the public), they have no idea what you are talking about.
“But as soon as you talk about virtual reality or video games, they begin to twig.” He suggested that reducing jargon and speaking in the simplest possible forms may help to increase understanding around AI and digital twins.
To watch a wrap-up video summarising this year’s Connected Places Summit click here. To watch the full videos of the two data discussions on video on demand, see below
In conversation with The Lord Clement Jones CBE
Navigating towards a federated network of transport systems
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The UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum
A forum dedicated to unlocking investment and driving regeneration and development across the UK
We’re delighted to partner with the UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) in Leeds, a forum dedicated to unlocking investment and driving regeneration and development across the UK to accelerate economic growth.
This year’s event promises to attract over 16,000 delegates, over 2,500 fringe event attendees, 1,250 speakers and 150 exhibitors from the built environment representing every core UK city and region.
Connected Places Catapult will have its own Pavilion – a dedicated platform for partners and stakeholders from UK cities, regions and freeports to network, collaborate and discuss pressing challenges and solutions in the built environment, transport, data and digital, and international partnerships.
Meet us in Pavilion Square to collaborate, discuss and extend your network.
To find out how to arrange a business meeting with us, join the discussion in the pavilion or collaborate on projects contact us at events@cp.catapult.org.uk
Last year we attracted over 1,300 visitors and 50 speakers. View 2026 pavilion’s programme:
Creating innovative urban spaces with sustainable community investment.
09:50 – 10:00
Opening Address
Kick-start your visit to the Forum by learning how we help grow the UK economy by driving the commercialisation of emerging innovations and next technologies in transport and the built environment in our towns and cities.
Is Investing in Innovation Infrastructure a Priority for UK cities?
Hear about how UK cities and place leaders understand the role of innovation – and high-quality, purposeful innovation spaces – in driving economic growth, attracting talent, and supporting sustainable development across different regional contexts.
Strategic International Collaboration as a Driver for Local Growth
As UK places look to the exploitation of urban challenges as drivers for local growth and innovation, carefully crafted international partnerships have the potential to derive greater impact in response to common ambitions. The Innovation Twins programme participants, Birmingham and Swansea Bay, will share their insights from different points in their collaboration journey.
Chair: Gareth Davies, Head of International Partnerships, Connected Places Catapult
Raj Mack, Head of Digital City and Innovation, Birmingham City Council
13:00 – 13:45
Transforming Public Spaces: Driving Health, Investment & Sustainability in Real Estate
Join us for a panel discussion on how innovation in the public realm can drive economic growth, improve community health and well-being, and support sustainability in real estate development.
Chair: Gavin Summerson, Head of Digital Construction and Infrastructure, Connected Places Catapult
Daisy Narayanan MBE, Public Realm Director, The Crown Estate
Matt Baker, Urban Regeneration Specialist, Rise Associates
Lucy Musgrave, Founder, Publica
Phoebe Mangoma-Dennis, Planning Lead, Social Value Portal
14:00 – 14:45
Building Bridges – Digital Twins Driving Regional Economic Growth
This session will look at the growing use of digital twins in regeneration to drive economic growth in the West Midlands.
Chair: Iain Mansell, Head of Regional Engagement, Connected Places Catapult
Raj Mack, Head of Digital City and Innovation, Birmingham City Council
Laura Collings, Head of Policy and Strategy, City of Wolverhampton Council
Sarah Windrum, Head of Cluster Development at Horiba Mira and Deputy Chair of the West Midlands Innovation Board
15:00 – 15:45
Innovation Districts: Catalysts for Economic Growth and Urban Transformation
This session will explore how Innovation Districts are reshaping urban economies and driving sustainable inclusive growth through strategic clustering of research institutions, enterprise, startups, and talent. Our expert panelists will examine successful Innovation District models, how to measure their impact on local economies, and the essential elements for driving the innovation economy.
Alisdair Gunn, Project Director, Glasgow City Innovation District
Emily Robson, Assistant Chief Executive, Knowledge Quarter Liverpool
Dr Adrian Johnston, Innovation Commissioner, Innovation City Belfast
16:00 – 16:45
Innovative Public and Private Partnerships Through Procurement
Despite the public sector spending over £400Bn on procurement in the public sector, we still have significant challenges in the built environment around affordable housing, Net Zero, creating liveable places, economic growth and much more. This panel will discuss the opportunities, challenges and recommendations on how public and private collaboration can help create new value.
Chair: Rikesh Shah, Head of Procurement Technical, Connected Places Catapult
Graeme Craig, Chief Executive Officer, Places for London
Johnny Hugill, Managing Director, Public
Sophie Bloom, Marketing & Product Director, Bloom
16:50 – 17:00
Thank You and Wrap Up the Day
Alan Welby, Build Environment and Local Growth Managing Director, Connected Places Catapult
Driving regional growth through investment, data and new technologies.
09:50 – 10:00
Opening Address
Alan Welby, Build Environment and Local Growth Managing Director, Connected Places Catapult
10:00 – 10:45
Unlocking Opportunity – How Freeports are Driving Growth, Jobs and Prosperity
Hear how the UK Freeports are leading the charge on Place Based Growth, by attracting investment into parts of the country that have historically missed out. Freeports are becoming hotbeds of innovation and building new clusters in sectors of the future, creating thousands of long-term, high quality jobs for local people, join the conversation.
Chair: Ibrahim Mohamed, Associate Director Freeports, Connected Places Catapult
Ben Russell, Deputy Head of Freeports and Investment Zones, Department for Business and Trade
Chris Rowell, Head of Net Zero, Tees Valley Combined Authority
Nora Senior, Chair, East Midlands Freeport, East Midlands Freeport
11:00 – 11:45
Investor Panel: Translating Public Sector Innovation into Private Sector Investment
Local Authorities in the UK have set ambitious Net Zero targets that require sector-wide collaboration to achieve. However, there’s still a conflict between the demand for Net Zero funding into the public sector and private investors’ risk appetite. This session explores the perspective of investors on the appeal of place-based investing, the risks it can carry and how financial institutions can overcome these risks to enable Net Zero funding at scale.
James Close, Head of Climate Change, NatWest Group
Kate Gilmartin, Non-Executive Director, Great British Energy
Dom Boyle, Local Authority Advisory & Lending, National Wealth Fund
Julian Batson, Head of Government & Local Authorities, Barclays
12:00 – 12:45
A Tale of Two Cities (Regions)
This session will explore the approaches taken by Belfast and Liverpool to drive growth through innovation and will also consider two city regions roles as major places within the Irish Sea Rim with its rich assets and talent pool.
Dr Adrian Johnston, Innovation Commissioner, Innovation City Belfast
John Fogarty, Executive Director, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Professor Phil Leigh, Senior Knowledge Exchange Manager, University of Cumbria
13:00 – 13:45
Dissert & Discuss with BSI Group – Decarbonising the Built Environment Through Standardisation
Explore how trusted standards support credible, consistent net zero strategies in infrastructure—enabling whole-life carbon management, aligning global efforts, and empowering collaboration across the value chain to drive meaningful climate action.
Attend this session to gain practical insights into using trusted standards like PAS 2080 and the ISO Net Zero Guidelines to embed decarbonisation across infrastructure projects, align with climate targets, and future-proof your strategy.
Chair: Rahul Shah, Global Director, Built Environment, BSI Group
Arun Thaneja, Technical Services and Sustainability Director, Winvic Construction Ltd
Dr Natasha Boulding, CEO & Co-founder, Low Carbon Materials
14:00 – 14:45
What’s Next for the Future of Planning?
Join us to hear from leading voices from organisations at the forefront of shaping the next chapter of digital planning in the UK. Our speakers will reflect on the successes and lessons learned from nearly a decade of digital transformation in the UK planning system, and look ahead to explore the emerging challenges and innovation opportunities in spatial planning.
Chair: Alan Welby Managing Director, Built Environment and Local Growth, Connected Places Catapult
Peter Kemp, Head of Change and Delivery, Planning, Greater London Authority
Dr Wei Yang, CEO, Digital Task Force for Planning
Bridget Wilkins, Head of Adoption, Engagement and Innovation, Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
Stefan Webb, Principal Partner – Place and Infrastructure, TPX Impact
15:00 – 16:30
The launch of Historic England’s Heritage Investment Prospectus
We are delighted to partner with Historic England and Buttress Architects. Join the launch of Historic England’s first Heritage Investment Prospectus at UKREiiF 2025 in Leeds. Hear first-hand a curated collection of historic sites and buildings across England, many with planning permission or agreed development briefs with local authorities, which actively seeking partners or investors to help write their next chapter.
Chair: Erika Lewis Chief Executive Officer Connected Places Catapult
Councillor Jane Ashworth OBE, Leader of the Council Stoke on Trent
Emma Squire CBE, Director of Regions, Historic England
Stephen Anderson, Director, Buttress Architects
Richard Upton, Commissioner, Historic England
Fringe event at the Connected Places Catapult Pavilion
17:00 – 18:30
Commercial Property Investor, Developer and Occupier Mixer
Meet place senior decision makers from investors, developers, occupiers and operators within commercial property. This is a closed event organised in our pavilion together with the UKREiiF team, express your interest to attend by contacting Kevin Smith at kevin.smith@ukreiif.com.
Bridging the gap between discovery and the market to spark innovation across the country.
08:30 – 09:30
The UK Innovation Districts Group Business Breakfast
We know it’s the third day of UKREiiF and you may well be exhausted so we have got you! Join us light breakfast and connect with other members and those within the wider ecosystem. It will be informal but will give you the chance to catch up with all those working within or alongside Innovation Districts.
Please feel free to extend to colleagues, but please do get in touch with us at events@cp.catapult.org.uk so we know the number.
10:30 – 11:00
The Art of the Possible: Unlocking the Potential of Community-Based Finance in the UK
Following the launch of our recent The Art of the Possible report, this session explores why community-based finance matters, what the research reveals, and what needs to happen next to unlock local investment and drive economic growth.
Chair: James Cushing, Head of Regional and Local Growth Technical, Connected Places Catapult
Ipsa Agnani, Programme Coordinator, Impact Investing Institute
11:00 – 11:30
Meet the Innovator: City Science
Join City Science to explore the need to act quickly and efficiently to progress your net zero plans. With the need for meaningful outcomes with current budget constraints, how do we get to net zero at pace? How do we fast track local plans, economic strategies and infrastructure and create better communities? Join us to hear more.
Suzanne Conn, Net Zero Partnership Lead, City Science
Enhancing Passenger Experience – AI in Transport Competition
Applications closed
Unlock the potential of AI in transforming the UK transport sector
The Department for Transport (DfT), in collaboration with Connected Places Catapult, recognises the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in shaping the future of the UK’s transport system.
The Government has recently announced a consultation to allow the creation of an Integrated National Transport Strategy which will set out a ‘people first approach’ to getting people around the country.
The Enhancing Passenger Experience – AI in Transport Competition will allow Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to submit a use case proposal for an AI-driven transport solution that complements government objectives.
Successful applicants will work closely with government and industry stakeholders to develop a business case and pitch deck as well as opportunities to further develop their solution.
Competition Overview
Scope
With a focus on passenger experience, this competition seeks solutions that complement the government’s key priorities for transport.
In alignment with the government’s key priorities for transport, this competition focuses on how AI can enhance passenger experience across the UK’s transport networks.
We are seeking innovative solutions in the form of use case proposals that address the most pressing challenges faced by passengers/transport users, aiming to create more reliable, efficient, and accessible transport systems.
Use case submissions for this competition must target a critical area where AI can make a meaningful impact in transport on passenger experience.
When submitting your application, you will be asked to select up to two of the government priorities below that your AI-driven solution best complements:
Improving Performance on the Railways and Driving Forward Rail Reform
Improving Bus Services and Growing Usage Across the Country
Transforming Infrastructure to Promote Social Mobility and Tackle Regional Inequality
Delivering Greener Transport
Better Integrating Transport Networks
Further context and background information that will assist you with completing your application can be found in our Application Guidance Document.
Connected Places Catapult and the Department for Transport strongly recommend you read through this guidance document before submitting to ensure you best understand the scope of the competition and how to align your solution with the priorities outlined above.
Programme Phases
This is three-phrase programme with business support, pitching guidance and networking opportunities on offer as well as funding.
If you are accepted onto Phase One, you will receive up to £2,000 to develop your use case into an early-stage business case and pitch deck.
If you are accepted onto Phase Two, you will receive professional pitch training and will then pitch your solution to a panel of government representatives from the DfT.
If you are accepted onto Phase Three, you will receive up to £13,000 to further refine and develop the maturity of your business case, you will also pitch your solution to a panel of senior transport leaders at Connected Places Catapult’s Summit event on 19 March 2025.
Key Dates
What’s on offer to smes?
01
Innovation Funding
Funding to support the development of your business case, pitch deck and pitching opportunity
02
DfT Collaboration
Engage with policymakers to align your innovation with government priorities
03
Pitching Support
Access to professional guidance and coaching on how to best develop and pitch your use case
Eligibility criteria
Applicant Type: Must be a UK-based SME.
Technological Readiness Level (TRL): Your solution must be between TRL 2-6.
Commitment: Participants must be available for the competition timeline.
If you have any questions about the competition or application process, please contact the Innovation Funding team at innovation_funding@cp.catapult.org.uk
We are delighted to once again participate in Innovation Zero, and we’re contributing to a number of sessions, including:
Andrew Chadwick, Ecosystem Director, Air Mobility & Airports, joining the Fuelling Flight: Hydrogen session on 1 May at 11:45.
Alison Young, Head of Global Investment, joining the session on Funding the Automotive Transformation, on 1 May at 12:25 in the Transport & Mobility Forum.
