Enhancing Passenger Experience – AI in Transport Competition
Applications closed
Liverpool Belfast Green Shipping Corridor Executive Summary
File type: pdf
File size: 39.78Mb
events
The UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum
A forum dedicated to unlocking investment and driving regeneration and development across the UK
Days hours mins secs
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, pavilion number 5 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.
- Erika Lewis, Chief Executive Officer, Connected Places Catapult
10:00 – 10:45
Innovative Spaces, Transformative Places: Strategically Developing Innovation Ecosystems
Hear how to develop a comprehensive approach to creating high-quality, purposeful innovation spaces that drive economic growth, talent attraction, and sustainable development across different regional contexts.
- Chair: Erika Lewis, Chief Executive Officer, Connected Places Catapult
11:00 – 11:45
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
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: TBC
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 Manstell, Head of Regional Engagement, Connected Places Catapult
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: UK Innovation Districts Group Chair
16:00 – 16:45
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: TBC
Driving regional growth through investment, data and new technologies.
10:00 – 10:35
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
- Philly Strahan, Freeport Innovation Network Manager, Connected Places Catapult
- Ben Russell, Deputy Head of Freeports and Investment Zones, Department for Business and Trade
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.
- Chair: Catherine McGuinness CBE, Non-Executive Director, Connected Places Catapult
13:00 – 13:45
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: Connected Places Catapult
Fringe event at the Connected Places Catapult Pavilion
15:30 – 17:00
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 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.
09:15 – 12:00
Agenda to follow
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.
How to apply
Applications are now closed.
Supporting documents
Point of contact
If you have any questions about the competition or application process, please contact the Innovation Funding team at innovation_funding@cp.catapult.org.uk
events
Driving Innovation in Maritime: Green Shipping Corridor
Join us to explore how the Green Shipping Corridor (GSC) is transforming Liverpool into a hub of maritime innovation. Delve into the significance of GSCs for the UK’s maritime future and the outcomes of a study that laid the foundation for its implementation.
Event finished: 28th November 2024
Join us to explore how the Green Shipping Corridor (GSC) is transforming Liverpool into a hub of maritime innovation.
This webinar will delve into the significance of GSCs for the UK’s maritime future, why Liverpool and Belfast are prime locations for this pioneering project, and the outcomes of a study that laid the foundation for its implementation. Discover how this work is setting the stage for sustainable growth in the maritime industry and what the future holds for GSC development.
Learn how our latest report is serving as both a catalyst and blueprint for delivering new clean energy and creating high-tech jobs that will drive the future of maritime operations.
Agenda Overview:
- Introduction to Green Shipping Corridors (GSCs)
- Strategic importance of the Liverpool-Belfast route.
- The Study’s impact and key outcomes
- Opportunities and future potential: framework for investment and economic growth
- What’s next for GSC development?
Speakers:
Georgina Cruttenden, System Engineer, Connected Places Catapult
Mark Wray, Ecosystem Director – Maritime & Ports, Connected Places Catapult
Simon Eardley, Head of Partnerships & Policy, Mersey Maritime
Prof. Trung Thanh Nguyen, Professor of Operational Research in Transportation, Liverpool John Moores University
Richard Willis, Technical Director – Port Operations & Technology Royal HaskoningDHV
reports
Green shipping corridors: a holistic approach to decarbonising maritime
Urgent action is needed to address shipping’s greenhouse gas emissions
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. This route is approximately 130 nautical miles and is one of the busiest routes in the Irish Sea, connecting the two major UK cities. A green shipping corridor is defined by the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UKSHORE) as zero emission maritime routes between two or more ports, and are seen as vital for encouraging the development of vessel and shoreside technology in clean maritime.
Maritime, shipping and the movement of goods and people in the region via its ports is a major economic driver for both Liverpool and Belfast, contributing £5BN in economic activity. However this activity also attracts significant global greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to poor air quality locally. The UK is committed to see these emissions reduce and recognises that as an Island Nation, this represents a sizeable challenge and opportunity to transition to low or net zero emissions. This report is a summation of a lot of focused work by a large stakeholder group in examining options for decarbonising a route linking the Ports of Liverpool and Belfast, to demonstrate it is possible and establish a blueprint available for scaling to other routes, perhaps initially in the Irish Sea Region and then further afield.
This report captures what is needed to establish a green shipping corridor and identifies 29 suitable pilot projects to develop the corridor further and secure a leading international role in green ports and shipping for the UK. Green shipping corridors require a systems approach to implementation and to consider each element that contributes directly to the reduction of carbon emissions or provides a part of the enabling environment to support this reduction. We have identified the existing assets and enabling components of the maritime ecosystem, including subjects such as fuel production and communication systems, as well as governance and skills. This is a substantive tome full of rich detail covering nationally applicable matters but through a focused place lens. Delivering a Green Shipping Corridor is complex, but this work has shown us that with a well motivated stakeholder group this can be broken down in to manageable and crucially investible projects ready for delivery.
This report is an output of an Innovate UK funded programme, Pulse, which examined a suite of challenges in the aviation and maritime sectors. The report has been prepared by Connected Places Catapult, working in collaboration with Royal HaskoningDHV, Liverpool John Moores University, the University of Liverpool, Queens University Belfast, and Mersey Maritime.
This report is part of a larger body of ongoing work to decarbonise the maritime sector, supported principally by the Department for Transport, Department for Business & Trade, the National Shipbuilding Office and Innovate UK. UKSHORE supported by Innovate UK has administered the Clean Maritime Demonstration programme, investing £206M of grants with private sector match funding since 2022 across a host of propulsion and infrastructure projects. This includes investing in selection of feasibility studies into Clean / Green Shipping Corridors between the UK and Europe, which are due to conclude by Spring 2025.
Liverpool Belfast Green Shipping Corridor Report
File type: pdf
File size: 158.63Mb
events
Maritime Funding Playbook Webinar
You are an SME in the maritime sector, looking to fund your next stage of development? We are launching our special funding playbook to help you on this journey.
Event finished: 31st January 2024
Join us for the launch of our Maritime SME Innovation Funding Guide packed with first-hand information and expert insights on the available public and private investment for UK entrepreneurs looking to innovate in this major sector of our economy.
There is no better time than the beginning of the new year to get up to speed with the funding landscape in the sector and hear from key contributors to our Maritime SME Funding Guide from the investment and innovation community. During this webinar we’ll be covering topics like grant and equity funding as well as what support is available for you as innovator to give your best shot at securing the right funding needed for your sustainable growth. Fellow entrepreneurs from across CPC’s accelerator, funding and cluster programmes with stakes in the digitalisation, decarbonization and safety of our ports and ships will share their own innovation funding journeys and perspectives on the maritime as a growth opportunity.
Our goal is to offer you a dynamic, interactive session where you’ll have the opportunity to ask our experts and fellow innovators questions and come away with useful information and clear action plan how to fund your maritime innovation in the new year ahead.
For any questions please contact metodi.naydenov@cp.catapult.org.uk
events
Maritime Innovation Week 2023
Embrace the Future of Maritime Excellence Online.
Event finished: 9th November 2023
Mark Wray, our Ecosystem Director, Maritime & Ports, will Chair the panel session titled ‘Targeting Net Zero – Opportunities and Challenges’ on Day 1 (11:45-12:30), with panellists from Frazer-Nash Consultancy, Serco, Ricardo and OREC.
Also on Day 1, Richard Wigley, our SME Innovation Support Team Lead, will deliver a presentation as part of the session titled ‘Sustainable Business Model Innovation’ from 14:30.
On Day 2, Justin Anderson, Director of Digital Twin Hub, will join the Innovation Exchange session from 11:45 to deliver a ‘lightning talk’.
Finally, on Day 3 of the event, Service Designers Trusha Oza and Eleanor Pile will host a workshop on inclusive innovation, from 12:50; and Mark Wray will Chair a panel on Disruptive Technology and How can it positively impact our Ports.
reports
Aberdeen Port Zero: Zeroing in on Future Sustainability
This report summarises the work undertaken as part of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 2 Aberdeen Port Zero project.
Ports have a major role in helping the maritime industry transition to net zero by 2050. The Port of Aberdeen, in particular, is a crucial player in international energy, trade, and tourism, and is a key enabler within the local, regional, and national supply chains.
A recent study carried out by a team of partners including; Port of Aberdeen, Buro Happold, Connected Places Catapult, and Energy Systems Catapult, aimed to understand future power demands, low carbon energy supply sources, and developed a roadmap for implementation to decarbonise port operations.
The study explored green alternative power sources and technologies to power port and third-party owned equipment, including road vehicles, cranes, reach stackers, tugs, pilot boats, and quayside infrastructure. In addition, high-level future energy demands were mapped out to gain a comprehensive understanding of the requirements moving forward.
The results of this study have wider implications across the UK port sector and align with the emissions reductions goals published in the Department for Transport’s Clean Maritime Plan of 2019. The study also has strong connections to both the Shore Power Feasibility Study 2021 and the Outline Business Case 2021-2022 carried out at Port of Aberdeen.
This summary aims to highlight all of the project work and outputs and share information that will be helpful for other UK ports on their net zero journey. The summary also lists how the project partners can support ports on their journey and enable the UK maritime sector to take the lead on the decarbonisation journey.
In conclusion, the Port of Aberdeen and its partners are leading the way in decarbonising port operations, and their work will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the UK’s transition to net zero by 2050. As the maritime industry continues to evolve and adapt, it is crucial that ports play their part in reducing emissions and creating a more sustainable future for all.
Aberdeen Port Zero: Zeroing in on Future Sustainability
File type: pdf
File size: 48.69Mb
News
Decarbonisation and automation innovators join Maritime Accelerator as Royal Navy confirms support
AI supply chain management, autonomous security drones and emission reduction technologies are among the innovations selected to receive expert support.
Connected Places Catapult, the UK’s innovation accelerator for cities, transport, and place leadership, today announced the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) selected to take part in the 2023 Maritime Accelerator.
The companies selected are developing technologies that respond to challenges in the sector around automation and decarbonisation. These areas of focus were identified by the programme partners: DP World Southampton; Houlder; Maersk; the National Shipbuilding Office; Port of Tyne; Serco and the University of Plymouth. These partners have recently been joined by the Royal Navy, which has agreed to provide support to SMEs on the accelerator.
“The Royal Navy is a major user of the UK’s port facilities and maintains an active interest in the development of new technologies that can give our vessels, operations and supporting infrastructure a strategic advantage. By collaborating with Connected Places Catapult we hope to provide subject matter experts on the Accelerator with valuable access and insights to help them develop their innovations.”Commodore John Voyce, Commanding Officer of HM Naval Base Portsmouth
Over the next three months, the cohort of SMEs will receive bespoke business development, investment readiness and technical support from Connected Places Catapult. They will also gain access to expertise and insights from the programme partners, and an opportunity to explore and design trials with them, funded through the accelerator where applicable.
Meet the SMEs selected for the Maritime Accelerator:
Cargo Stream UK provides a platform that encompasses essential management and integrates AI for the maritime and land transportation industries.
Geospatial Insight brings together data analytics with satellite imagery to help clients in the maritime sector to monitor air quality and greenhouse gas emissions.
Mission Zero Technologies develops negative emissions solutions to recover CO₂ from the atmosphere for circular use or permanent removal.
PurEmissions has developed filtration technology that allows vessels and ports to meet strict emission limits and reduce their carbon footprint.
Unitrove Innovation provides zero emission fuelling infrastructure such as green liquid hydrogen, green compressed gaseous hydrogen and renewable electricity for maritime applications.
Unmanned Life has developed a software platform known as U-Security that deploys autonomous drones for security surveillance at port facilities.
“Decarbonisation and operational efficiency through automation are top of the agenda for many companies in the maritime sector and the UK has a rich tradition of leading the way in the development of new maritime technologies. Working with our partners, we’re helping the sector to continue this tradition by supporting innovative companies to rise to today’s challenges and build tomorrow’s solutions.”Mark Wray, Ecosystem Director for Maritime and Ports at Connected Places Catapult
Maritime Accelerator 2023 Cohort Brochure
File type: pdf
File size: 22.37Mb
