Transport

Creating cleaner, safer, smarter and more resilient transport systems

The UK transport sector is under growing pressure to decarbonise, improve safety, increase resilience and deliver better outcomes for passengers and freight. But complexity, risk and market barriers can slow the adoption of new technologies and innovation at scale.

We help transport organisations and high-potential businesses overcome barriers to innovation by validating emerging technologies in real-world and highly regulated infrastructure environments, accelerating the deployment of proven solutions across the transport sector.

By connecting industry, innovators, investors and government, we help scale proven transport solutions that improve performance, productivity and long-term sustainability across the UK transport system.

813 billion

passenger kilometres travelled in Great Britain in 2024.

640,000 jobs

supported by the UK’s rail industry.

Busiest ever year

for UK aviation in 2025.

86%

of international UK freight is moved by sea.

Driving change in transport

We support the UK transport sector to test, validate and scale innovation across rail, aviation, highways, maritime and integrated transport systems.

Explore case studies on recent projects driving change in the transport industry, including:

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Our services

Connected Places Catapult is a proven delivery partner for transport operators, infrastructure owners, government and high-potential SMEs.

We help identify, test and scale solutions that improve transport performance, sustainability and operational resilience.

Our services for transport industry organisations and SMEs include:

Our focus areas

We have an imperative to transform the transport sector – creating systems that are more sustainable, reliable, safe and accessible to all. At Connected Places Catapult, we collaborate with the entire transport ecosystem to catalyse change.

Sameer Savani, Transport Managing Director,

Connected Places Catapult

Scaling SME growth

We work directly with high potential transport businesses in the UK to support growth and commercialisation through our projects and programmes, which aim to:

  • Help SMEs turn potential into performance
  • Reduce risk so individual businesses can scale
  • Support SMEs to compete in real markets
AI service developed with freight programme eyes seven figure target
Article

AI service developed with freight programme eyes seven figure target

Data management specialist Zizo expects to make £1 million from its AI platform in the next year; created with help from the Freight Innovation Fund accelerator.
Meet the innovator scaling a business to make roads and sites safer
Article

Meet the innovator scaling a business to make roads and sites safer

Concern with zebra crossing safety led one entrepreneur to take his technology idea from Powerpoint to product in under a year, with support from Connected Places Catapult.

Recent projects

A busy train station platform with people walking and automated ticket barriers in the foreground under a large arched roof
Project

Station Innovation Zone

We’re working with Network Rail and SMEs to test new technologies in live station environments. This helps SMEs grow, reduces risk for rail partners, and improves the passenger experience.
Connected Airport Living Labs
Project

Connected Airport Living Labs

The Connected Airport Living Labs is designed as a network of collaborative partnerships between Connected Places Catapult and UK airports, through which UK-based SMEs can test and demonstrate their late-stage innovative solution in a live airport environment.
Several white trucks are lined up in front of stacked shipping containers at an industrial location during sunset.
Project

Freight Innovation Fund

The Freight Innovation Fund is a multi-faceted programme funded by the Department for Transport, focussed on accelerating the adoption of commercial ready solutions to address challenges in the UK’s freight sector.

Live open calls

Airport security worker observes a bag scanner on screen whilst passengers walk through a security archway
Opportunity

HADeS 2026 Competition

Building on the success of the HADeS (High Assurance Detection Systems) innovation call in 2025 the Department for Transport (DfT) is launching HADeS 2026.
A port scene shows cargo ships, trucks, and stacked containers. An airplane is flying overhead against a sunset sky, with city skyscrapers visible in the background.
Opportunity

TRIG 2026 competition – Cohort 19

Up to £2,385,000 in funding is available across 53 projects to develop feasibility studies, proofs of concept, or prototypes tested in laboratory or relevant real-world environments.
Freight Innovation Fund Accelerator 2026 – Cohort 5
Opportunity

Freight Innovation Fund Accelerator 2026 – Cohort 5

The Freight Innovation Fund Accelerator will support up to 12 Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) to develop a trial to test their solution in real-world environments to help solve pressing challenges within the freight sector.

Have you got an innovative pilot, project or solution?

Case studies

Stations as spaces for placemaking
Case Study

Stations as spaces for placemaking

Understanding local experiences, challenges and opportunities in operating community-focused offerings from stations
Supporting innovators to make transport operations safer
Case Study

Supporting innovators to make transport operations safer

How Connected Places Catapult helped the SME Rhevia to trial its radar and AI technology, delivering insights and improving safety on roads and in workplaces.
Transforming manual asset verification from two weeks to 35 seconds at HS2
Case Study

Transforming manual asset verification from two weeks to 35 seconds at HS2

AI company, BuildPrompt, were partnered with the high-speed rail programme through the HS2 Accelerator to create a solution designed specifically for infrastructure delivery.

Interested in collaborating with us to de-risk new technologies and solutions, and implement innovation at scale?

Latest news

Funding available to develop airport security technologies
News

Funding available to develop airport security technologies

Innovators can apply now for a share of up to £500k to develop and test solutions that have the potential to further improve airport security.
£2.3m funding for ideas to transform transport
News

£2.3m funding for ideas to transform transport

Grants of up to £45k and business support is available to innovators with cutting-edge ideas to help make transport greener, more resilient and better connected.
An aerial view of a docked ship in a port
News

Search begins for innovators to make maritime operations greener

The new Ideas Elevator – Maritime Decarbonisation programme is set to support innovators with very early-stage business ideas in the maritime sector.

We work closely with the Department for Transport (DfT) to drive innovation and deliver transformative projects across the UK transport sector. Our partnership enables us to support cutting-edge research, develop new technologies, and create solutions that address the most pressing challenges in transport today.

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Transport Research and Innovation Grants

The Department for Transport (DfT), in partnership with Connected Places Catapult, offers Transport Research and…