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:
u003cmark style=u0022background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)u0022 class=u0022has-inline-color has-cpc-green-coloru0022u003eu003cstrongu003eCreating innovative urban spaces with sustainable community investment.u003c/strongu003eu003c/marku003e
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 Catapultu003cbru003eRaj Mack, Head of Digital City and Innovation, Birmingham City Council
13:00 – 13:45
Transforming Public Spaces: Driving Health, Investment u0026amp; 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 Catapultu003cbru003eDaisy Narayanan MBE, Public Realm Director, The Crown Estateu003cbru003eMatt Baker, Urban Regeneration Specialist, Rise Associatesu003cbru003eLucy Musgrave, Founder, Publicau003cbru003ePhoebe 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 u003cbru003eRaj Mack, Head of Digital City and Innovation, Birmingham City Councilu003cbru003eLaura Collings, Head of Policy and Strategy, City of Wolverhampton Councilu003cbru003eSarah 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.
Chair: Carolyn Dwyer, Non-Executive Director, Connected Places Catapultu003cbru003eAlisdair Gunn, Project Director, Glasgow City Innovation District u003cbru003eEmily Robson, Assistant Chief Executive, Knowledge Quarter Liverpoolu003cbru003eDr 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 Catapultu003cbru003eGraeme Craig, Chief Executive Officer, Places for Londonu003cbru003eJohnny Hugill, Managing Director, Publicu003cbru003eSophie Bloom, Marketing u0026amp; 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
u003cstrongu003eu003cmark style=u0022background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)u0022 class=u0022has-inline-color has-cpc-green-coloru0022u003eDriving regional growth through investment, data and new technologies.u003c/marku003eu003c/strongu003e
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 Catapultu003cbru003ePhilly Strahan, Freeport Innovation Network Manager, Connected Places Catapultu003cbru003eBen Russell, Deputy Head of Freeports and Investment Zones, Department for Business and Tradeu003cbru003eChris Rowell, Head of Net Zero, Tees Valley Combined Authorityu003cbru003eNora 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.
Chair: Catherine McGuinness CBE, Non-Executive Director, Connected Places Catapultu003cbru003eJames Close, Head of Climate Change, NatWest Groupu003cbru003eKate Gilmartin, Non-Executive Director, Great British Energyu003cbru003eDom Boyle, Local Authority Advisory u0026amp; Lending, National Wealth Fundu003cbru003eJulian Batson, Head of Government u0026amp; 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.
Chair: Erika Lewis, Chief Executive Officer, Connected Places Catapult u003cbru003eDr Adrian Johnston, Innovation Commissioner, Innovation City Belfastu003cbru003eJohn Fogarty, Executive Director, Liverpool City Region Combined Authorityu003cbru003eProfessor Phil Leigh, Senior Knowledge Exchange Manager, University of Cumbria
13:00 – 13:45
Dissert u0026amp; Discuss with BSI Group – u003cbru003eDecarbonising 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.u003cbru003eu003cbru003eAttend 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 u003cbru003eArun Thaneja, Technical Services and Sustainability Director, Winvic Construction Ltdu003cbru003eDr Natasha Boulding, CEO u0026amp; 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 Catapultu003cbru003ePeter Kemp, Head of Change and Delivery, Planning, Greater London Authorityu003cbru003eDr Wei Yang, CEO, Digital Task Force for Planningu003cbru003eBridget Wilkins, Head of Adoption, Engagement and Innovation, Ministry of Housing, Communities u0026amp; Local Governmentu003cbru003eStefan 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 Catapultu003cbru003eCouncillor Jane Ashworth OBE, Leader of the Council Stoke on Trentu003cbru003eEmma Squire CBE, Director of Regions, Historic Englandu003cbru003eStephen Anderson, Director, Buttress Architectsu003cbru003eRichard Upton, Commissioner, Historic England
u003cstrongu003eu003cmark style=u0022background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)u0022 class=u0022has-inline-color has-cpc-dd-orange-coloru0022u003eFringe event at the Connected Places Catapult Pavilion u003c/marku003eu003c/strongu003e
17:00 – 18:30
u003cstrongu003eCommercial Property Investor, Developer and Occupier Mixeru003c/strongu003e
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 u003ca href=u0022kevin.smith@ukreiif.comu0022u003ekevin.smith@ukreiif.comu003c/au003e.
u003cstrongu003eu003cmark style=u0022background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)u0022 class=u0022has-inline-color has-cpc-green-coloru0022u003eBridging the gap between discovery and the market to spark innovation across the country.u003c/marku003eu003c/strongu003e
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.u003cbru003eu003cbru003ePlease feel free to extend to colleagues, but please do get in touch with us at u003ca href=u0022events@cp.catapult.org.uku0022u003eevents@cp.catapult.org.uk u003c/au003eso 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 Catapultu003cbru003eIpsa 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
reports
CREDO for transport: Value propositions for holistic systems resilience
Transport is the foundational enabler and cornerstone of the UK’s critical national infrastructure, underpinning economic growth and societal wellbeing. This vital network, which supports the nation’s high-growth industries (often referred to as the ‘IS-8’), is facing an escalating threat from extreme weather and cascading failures.
Crucially, transport is deeply interdependent with other sectors like energy, telecoms, and water. Disruptions in these networks don’t stop there – they trigger systemic failures across rail, road and local transport.
Current siloed resilience planning is no longer enough. We must move beyond high-level assumptions to a coordinated, data-led approach. To safeguard the transport system, we must move beyond high-level assumptions towards a coordinated, data-led approach. This is where the Climate Resilience Decision Optimiser (CReDO) comes into play.
CReDO is a pioneering digital twin platform that models infrastructure interdependencies to uncover hidden vulnerabilities under extreme climate scenarios, enabling smarter, system-wide resilience planning.
Download the whitepaper to gain insights into:
How climate hazards trigger cascading failures across transport, energy, water, and telecoms networks
Why current transport resilience planning falls short, and where assessment and reporting gaps remain
How CReDO models interdependencies down to asset level, using probabilistic climate and failure scenarios
Four clear value propositions for transport organisations, covering:
Long-term resilience planning and reporting
Business case development for resilience investment
Crisis response and contingency planning
Designing future, electrified and digital transport systems
Practical actions for industry and government to unlock cross-sector resilience, including pilots, data sharing, and leadership frameworks.
Download the full whitepaper.
CREDO for transport: Value propositions for holistic systems resilience
Strategic development of data sharing infrastructure urged to help unlock UK growth
Leaders from Government, industry and academia came together at a roundtable in Westminster in October convened by Connected Places Catapult.
Strategic investment in data sharing infrastructure promises to unlock economic growth, accelerate AI adoption, and deliver new opportunities for UK businesses and citizens, a roundtable discussion heard.
Participants reaffirmed the need for a clear vision, strategic leadership, and a commitment to building the foundations for a resilient and future-proof digital economy. They agreed that ongoing collaboration, stakeholder engagement and the exploration of a governance mechanism is essential to realising this ambition.
Unlocking growth through data sharing and AI
Those in attendance agreed that the UK’s ambition to be an “AI maker, not an AI taker” hinges on robust, interoperable, and trusted data infrastructure. Delivering on this vision requires co-ordinated action and investment across public and private sectors, underpinned by programmatic leadership and a clear national strategy.
The roundtable highlighted that without effective data sharing, AI projects stall, value is lost, and the UK risks falling behind global competitors.
Barriers: security, leadership, and public trust
Despite the promise, significant barriers persist. Fragmented incentives, siloed initiatives, and the absence of clear leadership were identified as root causes undermining previous efforts. Concerns around data security, regulatory uncertainty, and public trust remain high, with cultural and organisational resistance often outweighing technical challenges. The roundtable emphasised that transformation requires more than technology – it demands a generational shift in strategy, skills, and culture.
Providing the glue to fill the cracks
Participants stressed the need for a strategic, sovereign data sharing infrastructure – one that builds on existing investments, leverages what works, and is co-ordinated across sectors. There is a need to bridge the gap between policy intent and market delivery, ensuring the business case for AI-ready infrastructure does not fall between the cracks.
Fear of Big Brother
Public attitudes towards data sharing remain a challenge, with fears of surveillance and loss of control over personal data. Reluctance to share data risks creating bias and limiting the benefits of AI. Operational teams in critical sectors are cautious about deploying AI tools due to accountability concerns and risk aversion, particularly in high-stakes environments like energy and health. The roundtable called for clear policy frameworks and trust-building measures to address these concerns.
Consider what data needs sharing
The discussion underscored the need for clear criteria on what data should be shared, balancing security, privacy, and value creation. Leadership awareness of the data sharing agenda is limited, and the challenge is often cultural rather than technical. The adoption of synthetic data and smart data contracts offers promise, but requires robust frameworks and incentives to build trust and drive adoption.
Joined up thinking encouraged
The experts agreed that the UK must accelerate towards a cross-sector, interoperable approach to data sharing. Collaboration across sectors including energy, transport, water, the built environment, and health is essential, with standards, security, and shared learning identified as critical success factors. The roundtable highlighted the potential need for a cross-sector orchestration body to oversee data and AI initiatives, drive strategic alignment, and ensure the UK’s AI ambitions translate into shared prosperity.
Economic case and call to action
It was agreed by the roundtable that the launch of the Modern Industrial Strategy by Government has provided a clear steer for businesses that the data they are sitting on is a valuable asset. But while some companies do not share their data at all, other firms may be sharing too much, leading to security concerns and a threat to critical infrastructure.
Summarising the discussion, Connected Places Catapult’s Data and Digital Managing Director, Justin Anderson said “the UK needs data sharing infrastructure to ensure that different organisations are able to connect together and access data across boundaries,” based on the ambitions of the AI Opportunities Action Plan.
“Unlocking data is what we are trying to do; presenting the business case for building AI-ready infrastructure,” he added. “Data sharing infrastructure will sit there, and innovators across the UK will be empowered to build a future of new scalable products and services on top.”
The economic case for interoperability is clear: improved data sharing could deliver significant cost savings, efficiency gains, and new opportunities for growth. The promised data valuation framework is welcomed, providing a significant first step in recognising public and private data as an economic, financial, and social asset. Achieving the UK’s ambitions around growth and scaling innovation will require coordinated action across standards, governance, infrastructure, and skills.
More details from the roundtable available in the report below. Read about our Data and Digital services.
Connected Places Catapult has collaborated with government, industry and academia on various projects to position the UK at the forefront of the Connected Autonomous Vehicle (CAV) revolution.
The challenge
The potential for transformative change creates huge opportunities for the automotive sector, but there are still significant challenges to overcome:
01
Social
The public is wary of autonomous technology and needs to be convinced of its benefits.
02
Technological
There is a huge diversity of CAVs ranging from warehouse cargo robots to urban automated taxis.
03
Policy
Significant challenges remain in developing the regulations and laws required to make autonomous driving a reality.
For over ten years, the Catapult has been a key player in the CAV field. The Catapult has accelerated new technology and showcased how CAVs enhance transport safety, reduce emissions, and can deliver economic growth.
Read this case study to explore how the Catapult’s projects are shaping the future of CAVs by overcoming social, technological, assurance and policy challenges.
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.
case_studies
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 2030, 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.
articles
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.
