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.

delivered using active airports and rail stations for trialling new solutions.

trials delivered in 2025- 2026 alone.

raised in private investment by supported SMEs since 2019.

in actualised cost-savings for HS2 as a result from our accelerators.

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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

Photo of Sameer Savani

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 & Construction 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

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Live open calls

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.
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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?

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Latest news

Bristol Temple Meads to test latest in station innovations
News

Bristol Temple Meads to test latest in station innovations

Systems designed to reduce passenger stress and make station surfaces less slippery will be trialled this spring.
More big names join Connected Places Summit lineup
News

More big names join Connected Places Summit lineup

The DfT’s Chief Scientific Adviser, the CEO of the National Wealth Fund and the Deputy Mayor of London for Environment and Energy are among the latest speakers confirmed for the Summit.
close up view of data on mobile phone
News

AI in Transport: 23 innovators selected to develop proposals

The organisations chosen will develop use case proposals that demonstrate how AI can transform the UK’s transport system.

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…