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
Charging specialist powers up towards commercialisation
Article

Charging specialist powers up towards commercialisation

Rapid and reliable charging for electric commercial vehicles is now offered by TUAL, a participant of the Freight Innovation Fund accelerator delivered by Connected Places Catapult.
Meet the innovator growing an EV charge management business
Article

Meet the innovator growing an EV charge management business

Serial entrepreneur Michael Gibson is CEO – or ‘Chief Explorer of Opportunities’ – of Fuuse, an electric vehicle charge point management specialist which continues to double in size each year, and has raised over £18 million of investment since receiving support from Connected Places Catapult.

Recent projects

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Live open calls

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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

Innovators to help reduce stress and improve safety through Bristol Temple Meads testbed
News

Innovators to help reduce stress and improve safety through Bristol Temple Meads testbed

Reducing stress for passengers and making surfaces less slippery in wet or cold weather are two challenges being targeted by UK companies.
close up view of data on mobile phone
News

Search begins with DfT for AI innovators to make transport systems smarter

Up to 25 innovators will be selected to develop proposals that use AI technology to improve transport in the UK.
Connected Places Catapult part of winning consortium at the Self Driving Industry Awards
News

Connected Places Catapult part of winning consortium at the Self Driving Industry Awards

Pioneering autonomous driving demonstration project, evolvAD, picked up the 2025 project of the year award.

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…