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 1,100 visitors and 50 speakers. View 2025 pavilion’s programme:
Creating innovative urban spaces with sustainable community investment.
09:40 – 09:50
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
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
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 (GCID)
Emily Robson, Assistant Chief Executive, Knowledge Quarter Liverpool
Driving regional growth through investment, data and new technologies.
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
11:00 – 11:45
Investor Panel: Translating Public Sector Innovation into Private Sector Investment
The Net Zero Neighbourhood concept was developed and established by the Cities Commission for Climate Investment (3Ci). 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 how investors can mitigate these risks by developing a framework for investing in public sector Net Zero Neighbourhood initiatives.
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
Katherine Fairclough, Chief Executive Officer, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Professor Phil Leigh, Senior Knowledge Exchange Manager, University of Cumbria
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, Build Environment and Local Growth, Connected Places Catapult
Peter Kemp, Head of Change and Delivery, Greater London Authority
Wei Yang, CEO, Digital Task Force for Planning
Bridget Wilkins, Head of Adoption, Engagement and Innovation, Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
Stefan Webb, Senior Partner – Place and Infrastructure, TPX Impact
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 bag between discovery and the market to spark innovation across the country.
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, Investment Institute
Design to Deliver is a collaboration between three Catapult centres: Connected Places Catapult, Digital Catapult and Satellite Applications Catapult – developed in collaboration with and funded by Innovate UK. Each Catapult has set a challenge in their respective industries, linked by the theme of regenerating nature. They are asking innovators to consider how to unlock human behaviours to regenerate nature through leveraging accessible, accurate and actionable information.
Four SME-led projects will be selected per challenge, with each SME receiving up to £50,000 to develop their solution alongside a proposed trial plan. In addition to funding, each project will also receive support from a specialised design consultancy, the respective Catapults’ technical team and a location partner.
View the opportunity pages detailing the challenges:
This event will give applicants the opportunity to find out more about the programme offering, challenges, the application process, scoring criteria and the assessment process. There will also be a live Q&A for prospective applicants to ask any further questions or check their eligibility.
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.
We are hosting a Digital Twin Hub session on Day 1, 22 April at 2pm, titled ‘Digital twins driving innovation in the North – Explore innovative projects that look to catapult the North of the UK into a bright digital future’. Join Nury Moreira, Community Manager of Digital Twin Hub, and other speakers for an inspiring conversation.
events
UKREiiF 2024
The UK's Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum
This year, we are proud to host our own Pavilion, a place designed to showcase real innovation, and provide opportunities to connect with thought leaders, and UK and global peers.
To review our full Agenda of sessions and activities taking place over the three days and plan your visit, please head to the UKREiiF website > Programme tab > Download Programme or > Click on the Connected Places Catapult Pavilion dot to browse online.
Make sure to visit our Pavilion in Pavilion Square, we look forward to connecting with you in Leeds!
Visit the UK Pavilion Powered by Connected Places Catapult in Hall P1, stand 61, to discover exciting technological innovation from partners from across the UK.
Sam Markey, our Ecosystem Director, Place Leadership, will co-host an insight-rich event on innovation-friendly procurement with pioneering place leaders from across the world, on the UK Pavilion on Tuesday, 7 November, from 14:00.
On Wednesday, 8 November, our Principal Place Development Leader, Catherine Hadfield, will Chair a session on the role of Innovation Districts in the digital future of cities and regions, from noon.
articles
Northern England moves forward on levelling up and breaking barriers down
Senior politicians, business leaders, students and Catapult staff rubbed shoulders at a major conference and exhibition in Manchester at the end of January which championed the Levelling Up agenda and promoted career opportunities.
articles
Northern England moves forward on levelling up and breaking barriers down
Senior politicians, business leaders, students and Catapult staff rubbed shoulders at a major conference and exhibition in Manchester at the end of January which championed the Levelling Up agenda and promoted career opportunities.
articles
Northern England moves forward on levelling up and breaking barriers down
Senior politicians, business leaders, students and Catapult staff rubbed shoulders at a major conference and exhibition in Manchester at the end of January which championed the Levelling Up agenda and promoted career opportunities.
Several hundred delegates had gathered for the ‘Convention of the North’ event to hear Government Minister Michael Gove and his opposition counterpart Lisa Nandy MP speak about the prospects for and need to promote economic growth in northern England.
But creative ideas really came to life in a large room along the corridor in which guests were free to mingle. Representatives from Connected Places Catapult partnered with the Power Collective CIC – a professional mentoring network aimed at encouraging social mobility and led by Simone Roche MBE, the founder of Northern Power Women. The stand they shared welcomed local mayors Andy Burnham (Greater Manchester) and Steve Rotheram (Liverpool City Region) to give their views.
Also in attendance were data science students from Salford University and creative media students from Burnley College, who were invited to gain a fuller understanding of how businesses operate and the range of job opportunities on offer through speed mentoring with business leaders from the community.
“Connected Places Catapult is right behind the Levelling Up agenda. Research and development spend to drive innovation is not equally spread across the UK and coming to an event like this means we can hear what people and politicians are saying and provide support accordingly.”
Alex Cousins, Business Director for Devolved Government
“Innovationsand new ideas that the Catapult enable arecrucial to helping northern communities to prosper,” added Alex. “We are also talking to young people about the importance of networking. Many jobs in future will be in brand new industries that we are working with business academia and civic leaders to create, so the best thing students can do now is to build their networks and find out more about the world of work.”
Students ask the questions
Among the students on the stand was a group from Burnley College interviewing and filming mentors and mentees associated with the Power Collective networking group, as well as local Mayors.
One of those asking the questions was Harrison Pearce, who wanted to know from those being mentored what they will take away from the day. He also asked mentors what advice they have for students, and local Mayors for their thoughts on how having young people at such events can help promote the Levelling Up agenda.
“Everyone we’ve spoken to has been very positive,” Harrison said. “Today it feels we are being treated more like professionals than students.”
Industry engagement specialist from the college Fiona Gibson said the students will benefit greatly from taking part in Convention of the North. “They are putting into practice the theory they are learning, gaining confidence and will be empowered to pursue career paths with more knowledge and insight.”
“We are blessed with so many amazing people here today and have mentors from many professional sectors who are helping to bring the world of work to life. We are also helping to bust the myth that it is ‘Grim Up North’.”
Simone Roche MBE, Founder of Northern Power Women and the Power Collective
Catapult out in force
At the event the Connected Places Catapult took the chance to raise awareness of its work, including its involvement in the Inclusive Innovation Network and the UK Innovation Districts Group through which best practice is shared to help build an inclusive innovation economy. It also promoted ‘Joining the Dots’ – a peer to peer learning partnership between civic leaders in the UK and Ireland.
Members of Connected Places Catapult present in Manchester included Place Development Lead Catherine Hadfield, who was there as one of several mentors to younger people.
“I spoke with students about the transferable skills and innovation opportunities that their project management and data science degrees bring, and how they can be applicable in any field,” she said. “Being at Convention of the North was an important opportunity for these students to understand how their skills can be applied to tackle some of the challenges and harness the opportunities in the north of England, and to network with key employers.”
Inclusive Innovation Network Lead Simon Smith heard how policies connect with work taking place in cities, and was keen to see how people can best be supported at the start of their careers. “A phrase I’ve heard a lot is ‘inclusive growth starts from the ground up’ and that is key to me,” he said. “Amplifying what’s happening on the ground and innovative projects that deliver impact and forming policy are what the Inclusive Innovation Network was set up to do. ”
Simon added that the Convention of the North resembled recent COP climate change conferences, where “key decisions are made and deals are done on the floor” to – in this case – further advance the north of England.
UK Innovation Districts Group Manager Philly Strahan said the event was a chance to engage in “shared discussion and collaboration” and to stress the importance of co-designing urban improvements with communities involved.
“It has been great to hear leaders across local and devolved governments recognise the need to involve people on the ground to problem solve locally and tap into the passion and enthusiasm that already exists,” she said.
Rachael Bampton-Aiken, who runs the Joining the Dots programme, supported the findings of think tank IPPR, which recentlypublished a report highlighting a lack of investment in northern England. It said if the North was a country, it would be second only to Greece in terms of low levels of investment among 39 countries.
“Joining the Dots delivered a masterclass with colleagues across the UK and Ireland here in Manchester in November. The event was focused on the changing nature of foreign and direct investment with leading academics and think tanks, especially focused around research and development and its importance for the economy. The IPPR report reiterates what the Joining the Dots collective explored.”
Rachael Bampton-Aiken, Joining the Dots programme
Connected Places Catapult will be back in Manchester for the 2023 Northern Power Women Awards on 20 March, which celebrates the achievements of cross sector role models and organisations in industry and where Connected Places Catapult is sponsoring the Inclusive Innovation award.
events
Station Innovation Zone Application Support and Information Webinar
Join us on 21st October for the Station Innovation Zone Application Support & Information Webinar
Connected Places Catapult is proud to be delivering the Station Innovation Zone competition.
We are seeking up to 10 Innovators with technology, products and services which can improve passenger experience when travelling through stations. You will get the chance to collaborate with the station and experts to design a trial proposal. The best proposals will then be taken forward to trial in a publicly managed UK Station.
This webinar will provide details regarding the specific challenges the competition will address and will guide potential applicants through the bid submission process. Attendees will have the chance to ask questions and seek support to help build a strong application.
Challenge areas
Safe Station – How might we enhance safety at the station through improved station operations?
Seamless Station – How might we improve the provision of customer information, by tailoring it to passengers’ needs and adapting it at times of disruption?
Social Station – How might the station be a great place to spend time for passengers and local communities, whilst functioning as a transport hub?
events
The World Cities Summit
International conference on public governance and the sustainable development of cities.
The World Cities Summit (WCS) is an international conference series on public governance and the sustainable development of cities. This is an opportunity for government leaders and industry experts to address liveable and sustainable city challenges, share integrated urban solutions and forge new partnerships.
Connected Places Catapult is pleased to become a strategic partner of the World Cities Summit which is being hosted by our partner the Centre for Liveable Cities.
Join us in person to hear from Nicola Yates OBE, our Chief Executive Officer who will give an overview of the global urban city sustainability landscape at the Tomorrow’s Sustainable Cities Today event. The discussion panel will be run by our partner Mastercard City Possible on Tuesday, 2 August, 14:00-15:00.
Also, Prof Greg Clark CBE FAcSS, Chair of Connected Places Catapult and 3Ci (Cities Commission for Climate Investment) will run the Sunday Mayor’s Forum and the Green Finance Track of the main Summit.
To book a meeting with us contact Elena Williams from our Global Team at elena.williams@cp.catapult.org.uk
News
Connected Places Catapult partners with Mastercard’s City Possible Network to drive Urban Transformation
Mastercard and Connected Places Catapult today jointly announced at the World Urban Forum that they have signed an MOU to join Mastercard City Possible network.
City Possible, pioneered by Mastercard, is a partnership and co-creation initiative that brings cities, companies, and communities together to identify common challenges and co-develop solutions that advance inclusive and sustainable urban development.
Connected Places Catapult is the UK’s innovation accelerator for cities, transport, and places. The Catapult provides impartial ‘innovation as a service’ for mobility and built environment businesses, infrastructure providers and public institutions to catalyse step-change improvements in the way people live, work and travel.
The MoU lays the foundations for the partnership to accelerate the adoption of innovative solutions in cities worldwide, using a people centred approach that will leverage synergies between Mastercard’s City Possible platform and the Catapult’s expertise, ecosystem, and past successes. To design and deliver such solutions, the partnership will explore, identify, and design opportunities to connect cities and public sector entities through engaging the global urban innovation ecosystem and opening new markets.
The two organisations recently met in Johannesburg and Cape Town to meet the cities, attend African Tech Week. Through workshop with key stakeholders in the region, they are looking at the opportunity that accelerating the way we use data to tackle city challenges with a community of innovators.
Further announcements will follow on upcoming projects and opportunities.
“The signing of the memorandum between Connected Places Catapult and Mastercard aligns with the Catapult’s efforts to partner with world leading global organisation to create real impact of cities by implementing innovative solution to current and future challenges they may face. We are excited by the partnership and look forward to working with City Possible to ensure we can create scalable, impactful change to the challenges our cities and places are facing.”
Guilherme Johnston, Head of Global Partnerships, Connected Places Catapult
