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
Autonomous boat builder charts course to success
Article

Autonomous boat builder charts course to success

Innovators showcasing their emerging technologies at the Connected Places Summit included start-up firm Norsail.
Innovation will be vital says rail transition lead
Article

Innovation will be vital says rail transition lead

How railway reform will impact the landscape for innovators was debated at the Connected Places Summit.

Recent projects

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Live open calls

West Midlands Logistics & Distribution Cluster
Opportunity

West Midlands Logistics & Distribution Cluster

The West Midlands Logistics & Distribution Cluster is a collaborative initiative led by Connected Places Catapult, aimed at fostering growth and innovation within the logistics and distribution sector in the West Midlands.
Maritime transports
Opportunity

Transport Research and Innovation Grants 2025

Transport Research and Innovation Grants (TRIG) provide early-stage funding for innovations in science, engineering, or technology delivered by The Department for Transport’s (DfT) project delivery partner, Connected Places Catapult.
A worker in a hat and vest oversees a forklift lifting a container, surrounded by containers in a shipping yard.
Opportunity

Freight Innovation Fund Accelerator 2025

The Freight Innovation Fund Accelerator will support up to 15 Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) to develop a trial to test their solutions in real-world environments to help solve pressing challenges within the freight sector.

Have you got an innovative pilot, project or solution?

Case studies

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

Latest news

Five Hydrogen Technology Demos Green Lit
News

Five Hydrogen Technology Demos Green Lit

Technologies from offshore electrolysis to the UK’s first hydrogen-powered railway shunter will be showcased.
AI tech specialists selected for trial with major maritime clients
News

AI tech specialists selected for trial with major maritime clients

Two participants in the Transport Accelerator: Maritime have been chosen to showcase their systems and develop their innovations with established industry partners.
Government boost for businesses to drive freight innovation
News

Government boost for businesses to drive freight innovation

Government to provide £1.1 million in funding to help British businesses trial cutting-edge technologies, solving some of the biggest challenges in the freight and logistics 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…