opportunities

Shaping the Future, Today

Applications are now closed

Future Focused Solutions for Climate Mitigation and Adaptation – Open Call and Investment Forum for UK and UAE Businesses

The COP28 – Net Zero Mitigation & Resilience Solutions for the UAE programme is seeking to develop long-term, business led research and innovation collaborations between UAE based investors and SMEs and the UK to address pivotal climate change mitigation and resilience challenges.  
 
Funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s Gulf Strategy Fund, this programme is responding to three opportunities outlined in the 2023 iteration of Dubai Future Foundation’s The Global 50 future opportunities report. The challenges have been chosen to create collaborations that merge local and UK expertise.  
 
We will work with Dubai Future Foundation and Expo City Dubai to offer UK and UAE SMEs the opportunity to connect and collaborate on solutions to three challenges focusing on minimising environmental risks, harnessing nature’s capacity to restore itself and radically changing ways of life by replacing the models that countries, communities and individuals live by. 
 
For each challenge, we will select 4 SMEs, two based in the UK and two based in UAE to showcase their solution to the challenge in Dubai at the end of March 2024. The selected companies will also present their business to a selected group of UAE– based investors at an Investor Pitch Evening. Where appropriate and viable, the showcase presentations may be selected to be installed at Expo City Dubai, or other suitable venues, for a period of 3 months.

Key dates

Programme Challenges

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The Dubai Future Foundation is at the forefront of creating innovation platforms that allow for ideas to take shape through strategic collaboration locally in Dubai and globally, shaping a better future.

Among the organisation’s initiatives, The Global 50 shares Dubai Future Foundation’s view of the future and outlines 50 opportunities for growth, prosperity and well-being. Some of these opportunities may be in their early days of exploration, some require reflection and some feel very far away.

Connected Places Catapult’s technology experts have chosen three specific challenges from the 2023 edition of The Global 50 which link to accelerating innovation in our cities and will allow us to explore specific ideas and initiatives that can bring positive long-term financial, environmental and societal outcomes.

1: What if the next wave of car technology innovation was in the wheels? 

A series of technological innovations in the wheels redefine the future of car transport – from maglev (magnetic levitation) solutions and drone-like technologies to the replacement of rubber in tyres and new ways of conceptualising the function of wheels on a car. 
 
We are particularly interested in sensor / AI driven solutions to optimising tyre and brake wear and reducing pollutants for EVs. 

Why it matters today: Tyres and brake systems produce large amounts of microplastics as by-products. Up to 100,000 tonnes of microplastics from tyres end up in the ocean each year and a further 40,000 tonnes of microplastics come from wear and tear on car brakes. With the average scrapped car tyre weighing 9 kg, the amount of microplastics discharged into the ocean is equivalent to 11 million tyres each year. Research suggests that nanoparticles generated from road traffic can cause harm, and increased road traffic is a major cause of high particle concentrations in polluted urban areas. Atmospheric particulate matter was recognised as the leading cause of 43,000 premature deaths in Europe by the European Environment Agency in 2015.

The opportunity: The transport landscape is changing. Imaginative new applications of drone or maglev (magnetic levitation) technology could be the future. For example, in one scenario, there could be hybrid vehicles that are capable of running on electricity or alternative fuels but that switch over to maglev mode when the infrastructure is available. This would prevent the release of nanoparticles of dust, plastic and minerals into the atmosphere, as well as reducing noise levels. Such solutions would make the roads cleaner, improving ecosystems and human health.

Replacing rubber tyres with new materials and new wheel and brake technologies can minimise wear and tear on both vehicles and road surfaces. When used safely, lower-friction – or even frictionless solutions, augmented by advanced machine intelligence and autonomous systems – can cut energy consumption, enabling electric vehicles to travel further.

Wheels could become multifunctional. Rethinking the functionality of wheels and tyres beyond simply transportation and carrying the load of the car could lead to the development of wheels that can generate energy, filter nanoparticles and absorb emissions, among other applications.

2: What if we could absorb greenhouse gas emissions and particulate matter on demand anywhere in the world?

Enabled by materials science, automation and advanced machine intelligence, emissions and particulate matter are absorbed on an as-needed basis, anywhere in the world, independent of technological capabilities available on hand. 

Why it matters today: On average, those living in the largest urban cities in the MENA region breathe in 10 times the level of pollutants in the air that the World Health Organization considers safe.

The opportunity: Clean air will one day be a critical need if climate change persists. Materials science, automation and advanced machine intelligence could contribute to the invention of a mobile emissions and particulate matter (PM) scrubber that could absorb carbon dioxide, other greenhouse gases and PM anywhere in the world. If this idea were scaled, scrubbers could be positioned at sea as offshore platforms to absorb emissions and PM. 

Mobile emissions and PM scrubbers could be standalone solutions powered by renewable sources of energy. Using advanced materials, they could efficiently absorb greenhouse gases and PM and either store them for later use or convert them into fuel and other non-harmful, possibly useful chemicals. 

3: What if deliveries went underground?

An AI-powered pneumatic tube system for city-wide delivery on demand that offers a completely integrated OnDemand delivery model reviving an old approach with the technological advances needed. 

The opportunity: The idea of a city-wide pneumatic tube system is not new – no longer operational because of high operational costs, the New York postal service was connected in 1897 through pipes that delivered letters and parcels around the city.  

New materials, new building techniques and automated, AI-powered distribution centres could offer completely integrated on-demand delivery models giving traction in reviving the former approach. Pneumatic tunnels (also called vacuum tunnels) embedded into the urban infrastructure to connect buildings and distribution nodes could offer ‘beyond-the-doorstep’ delivery solutions to hospitals and other critical services. With development costs integrated into zoning and real estate plans, the tunnel system could be run on a pay-per-use basis. 

Integrating small robotic distribution centres around cities would mean that packages could be electronically tagged for delivery to an address and loaded into a sealed pipe for instant dispatch. Buildings would be equipped with hatches where goods could be sent and received. Perfect traceability of goods from dispatch to delivery would be guaranteed, as the system would automatically track tagged goods via distributed ledger technology databases. 

Whats’ on offer to SMEs?

6 UK and 6 UAE companies will be selected to participate in this programme and benefit from tailored support from Connected Places Catapult experts, and funding leading up to the presentation of their solutions and investor pitches.

UK Based SMEs will be provided with financial assistance up to £10k in total value to develop their showcase presentations and cover the travel and accommodation for the trip to Dubai in March 2024.

Am I eligible for this programme?

UK SME eligibility criteria for UK organisations:

• You must be a registered UK company.
• You are ready and willing to collaborate and showcase your solution in the UAE.
• You need to be export-ready, but no previous export experience is required.
• The technology on which your solution (product or service) will be based should be TRL 3-4 and above, e.g., at proof of concept stage or above.
• Desire to expand internationally.

UAE SME eligibility criteria:

• You must be a registered organisation according to your national legislation.
• You are ready and willing to collaborate and showcase your solution.
• You need to be export-ready, but no previous export experience is required.
• The technology on which your solution (product or service) will be based should be TRL 3-4 and above.
• Desire to expand internationally.

How to apply

Please register through the link below. Applications close midnight 28 January 2024

Supporting documents

Competition scope

Selection criteria

Point of contact

If you have any questions about the programme and application, please contact:

Megan Ford, SME Ecosystem Support Officer, megan.ford@cp.catapult.org.uk  

Application Support Webinar

We will host an application support webinar, with a date to be confirmed shortly.

This webinar will cover the background to the programme, the challenges it is aiming to address, how the programme will benefit SMEs, guidance on how to apply and information on the application process.

News

Carbon reduction champions shortlisted in National Highways programme

Innovative low carbon approaches to road construction and maintenance will receive funding and business support.

Seven companies have been selected to join a carbon reduction competition organised by National Highways and Connected Places Catapult.

Innovative ideas put forward to proceed to the second phase of the National Highways Accelerating Low Carbon Innovation Programme include a climbing robot that carries out structural inspections, ‘smart fibre’ plastic bridge beams that monitor structural performance and low carbon fencing materials.

Each shortlisted company will receive between £15,000 and £30,000 to develop their proposals in collaboration with National Highways and several Tier 1 suppliers. Connected Places Catapult will provide coaching, help with marketing strategy and investment support.

The seven companies and their ideas making it through to the next stage of the competition are:

Asset International Structures (Cwmbran) – Developing smart fibre reinforced plastic bridge beams that incorporate optical fibre, enabling structural performance monitoring in real time.

Circular11 (Ferndown) – Providing durable, low carbon fencing and acoustic insulation products; turning mixed low-grade plastic waste into composite material.

HausBots (Birmingham) – Delivering a series of structural inspections using a unique climbing and crawling robot fitted with inspection sensors.

Loopcycle (London) – Creation of a whole life carbon measurement and circular economy tool for use across highway estate assets.

Low Carbon Materials (Seaham) – Delivering a carbon negative aggregate for use in carbon neutral asphalt.

PRG (Scotland) (Hamilton) – Turning waste tyres into useful materials such as a bitumen-like substance for use in road construction and repairs.

Xeroc (London) ­­–­­ Recycling old concrete into new concrete, returning each component to its original form with as little contamination as possible.

Alex Weedon, Executive Director, Connected Places Catapult, SME Development and Academic Engagement said: “National Highways’ goal of achieving net zero emissions involves finding innovative solutions to support decarbonisation, particularly in the maintenance and construction of the strategic road network.

“Connected Places Catapult is proud to have been chosen as a delivery partner for this accelerator project. We look forward to supporting the SMEs in the development of their solutions, and turning bright ideas into commercial products and services.”

Alex Weedon, Executive Director, Connected Places Catapult, SME Development and Academic Engagement

National Highways aims for its maintenance and road construction activities to generate net zero emissions by 2040.

The competition set four challenges for innovative companies to address with their new ideas: alternative materials; decision making enablers for asset management and the whole life value of assets; enablers for the circular economy; and an open challenge.

“We want to speed up innovation within our sector and adopt new solutions. The innovation accelerator will help take potential solutions and drive them through the research and testing phases.”

Dr Joanna White, National Highways Roads Development Director

National Highways Accelerating Low Carbon Innovation Programme Cohort Brochure

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Project

Unlocking the Value Chain of EVs and Micromobility in India

Unlocking the Value Chain of EVs and Micromobility in India has the goal of fostering mutually beneficial relationships between UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and Indian stakeholders within the electric vehicles (EVs) and micromobility sectors.

This initiative, funded by Innovate UK, is dedicated to working with Indian subnational governments to address the key challenges that hinder the wider adoption of EVs and the transition to net zero across India. In doing so, we aim to create valuable opportunities for UK innovators to access India’s rapidly growing market.

Project Objectives 

Our project is designed to achieve the following key objectives:

• Identify and Validate Market Challenges: We will work closely with Indian stakeholders to identify and validate critical market challenges and gaps in the EV and micromobility sectors that need to be addressed.
• Select Innovative UK SMEs: We will identify and select UK-based SMEs that offer innovative solutions to address these identified market gaps and challenges, ensuring they are well-positioned to meet the needs of the Indian market.
• Facilitate Knowledge Exchange: Through a series of knowledge exchange events, we will provide UK SMEs with the necessary tools, information, and insights to effectively collaborate with Indian stakeholders.
• Promote Long-Term Partnerships: Our program is committed to promoting sustainable, long-term partnerships between UK SMEs and local stakeholders in academia, industry, and government across India.

Our Vision

We envision a future where India’s journey towards net zero is accelerated by cutting-edge solutions from UK innovators. By unlocking the value chain of EVs and micromobility, we aim to support bilateral trade, drive investment, and foster equitable and inclusive economic growth in both nations. Through this programme, we are not just addressing immediate market needs but also laying the foundation for enduring collaborations that benefit all involved.

This initiative is being implemented by Connected Places Catapult in collaboration with the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office in India, and local partners. Join us in shaping the future of sustainable mobility in India and beyond.

Learn more

Watch our two Knowledge Sharing webinars.

Report

Opportunities for UK SMEs in the Indian Electric Two- And Three-Wheel Micromobility Market

This report supports Connected Places Catapult’s knowledge-sharing programme for UK SMEs looking to enter the Indian E2/3W vehicle ecosystem by partnering with Indian companies.

Contact the project team 

If you’d like to work with us or find out more, please email aline.martins@cp.catapult.org.uk

projects

UK – India Innovation for Net Zero: Exploring place-based bilateral partnerships

International collaboration can boost the power of places to deliver on net zero goals. A new partnership between the UK and India which involves Connected Places Catapult is hoping to achieve just that.

Specialists in the fields of science and technology from both the UK and India are coming together to make concerted progress in working towards net zero. Policymakers, research and development companies, start-up firms, investors and place leaders are all involved and have important roles to play.

The imperative to decarbonise is becoming ever more urgent. However the path to net zero will not be trodden alone, nation-by-nation, sector-by-sector, city-by-city. It will increasingly rely on innovation and the efforts of communities in districts, quarters, zones, clusters and hubs to share their learnings.

Connected Places Catapult is a partner in the UK-India Net Zero Centre Programme – a coalition of specialists from the two countries, along with Energy Systems Catapult and the Centre for Process Innovation. Together, they are working to harness the UK-India science and technology superpower partnership to accelerate the path to net zero.

As part of this, Connected Places Catapult investigated the scale of potential and the appetite for collaboration between UK and Indian cities. It identified potential pairings of innovative places with complimentary challenges and ambitions for decarbonisation.

Bilateral innovation to unlock opportunity

Primary challenges shared by the UK and India include industries that need to decarbonise, and built environment, transport and energy systems that must become greener and more efficient. Aligned to this, demand for more integrated approaches to planning infrastructure and land use is growing rapidly.

The UK and India share world-class expertise in science and technology, bold business leadership and ambitious cities seeking to drive action towards net zero. Both nations are committed to partner on investment, technology and joint leadership on climate and clean energy, set to grow in line with the India-UK Future Relations Roadmap 2030.

Building on this relationship, innovation partnerships between India and the UK offer huge promise to accelerate collaboration to meet net zero goals. We’ve explored a range of case studies that showcase best practice, including the West Midlands’ MIRA technology park which collaborated with the Hyderabad T-hub on battery and EV expertise.

Shared interests, challenges and opportunities are what fuels these kinds of international partnership projects, and the work between the UK and India serves as a leading example. Bringing both nations’ academic prowess on board is an important aspect of the initiative, with strong university links created to drive research and discovery on the topic of net zero.

Learning from Greater Manchester Region and Bengaluru

A Greater Manchester Region delegation visit to Bengaluru in March 2023 and a series of workshops represent another great example of the partnerships delivering benefit. This coalition was led by Connected Places Catapult in collaboration with The Business of Cities, Manchester India Partnership, and Global Business Inroads.

Through this engagement, several exciting opportunities were identified ranging from knowledge sharing on harnessing the power of hydrogen to innovation district partnerships.

Combining these learnings, a partnership model was designed to outline how place-based innovation collaborations can become both mutually beneficial and self-sustaining for city innovation ecosystems going forward.

The ambition is to build on these findings and unlock the scale of potential identified in a future phase of work. Through developing the Greater Manchester Region and Bengaluru partnership and engaging other high-potential pairings of innovation places, the programme hopes to demonstrate and scale the impact that can be achieved through international partnerships for net zero.

Contact the project team

If you are interested in the project or getting involved, please contact Roxana.Slavcheva@cp.catapult.org.uk or globalbusinessgrowth@cp.catapult.org.uk

Partners

Reports

Innovation Twins Places driving a Net Zero Future

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UK-India Partnership Design Report

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UK-India Executive Summary Report

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events

London Regional Investor Event

Accelerating Finance for Net Zero Projects

Register now

Event finished: 29th June 2023

The event aims to bring together stakeholders to accelerate financial flows into London’s local net zero projects. It will showcase net zero projects at various stages of maturity and welcome an open dialogue about how early-stage schemes can be shaped into compelling investment opportunities. This regional investor event is organised in partnership between 3Ci, GLA and London Councils.

For local authority professionals in London, the event offers the opportunity to understand the ways local net zero projects attract investment, and how 3Ci, GLA and London Councils are collaborating to advance these projects for financing.

For investors, the event offers insight into local authority projects and open a dialogue to ensure the right investment decisions are factored into both local projects and regional programmes.

For professionals in business and national government, the event provides a chance to understand the opportunities that can be unlocked through net zero and help shape the agenda by sharing their priorities and challenges.

news

Innovations sought to help National Highways on road to net zero

Applications to a National Highways competition seeking new approaches to reducing emissions associated with road construction and maintenance are now open.

Funding to develop innovative trials of net zero carbon approaches to road construction and maintenance will be offered to up to ten small to medium sized businesses in a competition launched today by National Highways and Connected Places Catapult.

Phase one of the National Highways Accelerating Low Carbon Innovation Programme will see winning UK based firms awarded between £15,000 and £30,000 each to develop feasibility studies in collaboration with the strategic road operator and its tier one suppliers.

Phase two will see further funding of up to £80,000 provided to support a selected number of organisations to trial their solutions.

Applicants are invited to put forward proposals that address at least one of three challenges:

• Development or application of alternative materials and techniques;
• Innovations that can improve asset management decision-making;
• Innovations which can contribute to reusing, redeploying and recycling construction materials and assets.

There is also an open challenge category for other ideas that can contribute to National Highways’ target of zero emissions in maintenance and construction by 2040.

Up to five larger tier one organisations will also be selected to develop net zero solutions either on their own or in collaboration with an SME, but will not be eligible for funding as part of the programme.

Firms interested in putting themselves forward for the competition have until midnight on 30 April to enter.

The aim of the competition is to reach a wider pool of innovators, exploring firms with potential outside of National Highways’ existing supply chain, that promise to make a difference in lowering its carbon footprint.

“National Highways’ Accelerating Low Carbon Innovation Programme is open to companies of all sizes – from tier one firms developing solutions in-house or collaborating with SMEs, to smaller businesses who do not always get the chance to interface with large clients – to showcase their innovative ideas and see how they can be scaled up.”

Connected Places Catapult’s Executive Director for SME Development & Academic Engagement, Alex Weedon

The innovation accelerator seeks to take new materials and solutions described as being ‘low maturity’ and put them through a consistent, standardised process of prioritisation, feasibility and initial trialling, with the aim of assessing viability for wider testing and adoption.

Successful firms will be offered coaching and help with marketing strategy and investment support, as well as trial design training, deployment support, trial monitoring and evaluation. There will also be the chance to take part in a demonstration day for investors, industry and potential customers and ten months’ tailored business support.

“We want to speed up innovation within our sector and adopt new solutions. The innovation accelerator will help take potential solutions and drive them through the research and testing phases.”

National Highways Roads Development Director, Dr Joanna White

projects

Carbon Accounting

Representatives from the Catapult Network are working with Government, academia and standards bodies to develop a robust, comprehensive framework to accurately measure greenhouse gas emissions of UK manufactured products, that will accelerate industrial emission reduction and position the UK as the place for green manufacturing.

About the project 

To limit warming to 1.5C, it is critical businesses set decarbonisation targets to include emissions occurred across the full value chain, beyond what they have direct control over. These emissions are referred to as Scope 3 and are often the most significant, but most difficult to accurately measure. It is important that an accurate image of the true embodied carbon is captured in Scope 3 emissions in order to inform and drive change required to meet net zero. 

However key challenges for manufacturers to capture their value-chain emissions include:  

• An overabundance of standards, tools, guides and frameworks means the landscape is hard to navigate for most companies without the help of experts in the field. 
• Hard-to-access, inconsistent and unverified data leads to inaccuracies and discrepancies in carbon accounting leaving a large room for error and reduced customer confidence. 
• A lack of policies, good governance and enforcement leads to a broad range of practices and varying levels of adherence. 

A systematic approach is therefore required to tackle this complex set of challenges.

Catapults take action

With this in mind, the High Value Manufacturing Catapult is leading a two-and-a-half-year project on behalf of Innovate UK with support from several other Catapults to develop a framework for creating a best practice guide for measuring embodied emissions of UK products in the context of Scope 3 greenhouse gas reporting. The four other Catapults involved in the project are Connected Places, Digital, Energy Systems and Satellite Applications, each leveraging their network and unique expertise to tackle this complex challenge. 

Connected Places Catapult is leading the ecosystem work by mapping the complex landscape, convening broad subject matter experts and identifying solutions and best practice. Digital Catapult is leading the work on data, tools and verification. Energy Systems is building on its experience driving carbon reporting frameworks to build tools and best practice for tracking emissions along supply chains and disseminating into industry.   

The programme will work closely with selected companies in the UK manufacturing supply chain to test and validate their carbon accounting processes, in order to support them on their carbon accounting journeys and to gather best practice knowledge for the project. 

The Catapult Network will also work alongside external subject matter experts such as the British Standards Institution, which has delivered a series of recommendations on how to improve governance and standards associated with carbon accounting.

Opportunity

Making progress on industrial emissions reduction in not only key to meeting Net Zero, but will also boost the competitive advantage of UK manufacturers to win future work as other nations adopt carbon pricing. 

The UK has the opportunity to position itself as the global ‘green-shoring’ destination of choice for manufacturers, underpinned by a decarbonised industrial base and clear greenhouse gas accounting and reporting frameworks.   

Rather than offshoring our manufacturing supply base to nations with weaker carbon reduction targets, the UK has an opportunity to take a global leadership position. It can address its consumption emissions by transforming its domestic manufacturing base, anchoring innovations, attracting inward investment and exporting Net Zero products and services to international markets.

Call to action

We cannot solve this in isolation. So if you have a solution or recommendation you would like to share, or if you have first-hand experience of these carbon reporting challenges and want to participate in pilots, please get in touch via the contact details below.

Contact the project team

For more information on this project, complete the form below and a member of our team will be in contact.

Project Partners

events

8th annual Sustainability Week

Empowering businesses to accelerate action on sustainability

Register now

Event finished: 31st March 2023

Join over 1000 leaders, businesses, financiers, investors, NGOs and policymakers in London and more than 4,500 attendees online to ensure you are part of the sustainable future.

events

2nd Europe CCUS & Hydrogen Decarbonisation Summit: Implementation

Register now

Event finished: 9th February 2023

The Summit will bring together 300+ government officials, regulators, key industry stake holders, leading academia and service companies and Connected Places Catapult is delighted to partner with Chameleon Events.

Alan Nettleton, our Lead Systems Engineer will deliver the session on 8 February 2023 titled ‘End User Implementation of Hydrogen’. Alan will highlight our work on hydrogen and decarbonisation, and talk about the Zero Emission Road Freight Demonstrator (ZERFD) project.

Register to hear more and meet with us at the event. 

events

Net Zero Projects: Shard Investment Day

Join us on 22 February to hear from innovative UK SMEs who are working to address net zero challenges.

Register now

Event finished: 22nd February 2023

Interested in net zero investment opportunities in the transport and built environment sectors? Join Connected Places Catapult at their Shard Investment Day to hear from Innovative UK SMEs who are working to address net zero challenges.

For investors, this event will provide an opportunity to be introduced to high-potential SMEs with net zero projects. It will also offer an insight into the demand for projects presented and help open a dialogue to ensure the right investment decisions are made.

The event will also provide an opportunity for local authority and other relevant stakeholders to hear from firms at the forefront of net zero innovation.

If you are an investor, represent a local authority or other stakeholder and would be interested in attending, please apply now to reserve your spot.

SMEs looking to take part should apply via our opportunity page