Winners of a £1.4 million competition to transform the transport
sector, grow the economy and inspire innovation have been
announced by the Department for Transport today (23 October).
Organisations and academics with innovative ideas were able to
win up to £45,000 in funding to offer sustainable,
forward-thinking alternatives and contribute to the Government's
aim of cleaner, greener and more efficient transport networks.
Over the last decade, the Transport Research and Innovation Grant
(TRIG) programme has invested over £15 million to support
industries in the pursuit for new technologies and collaborations
- helping deliver key economic growth throughout the country.
This year sought proposals focused on local transport
decarbonisation, maritime decarbonisation and emerging
technologies such as AI and drones.
Aviation, Maritime and Security Minister
said:
"Innovation is the driving force behind our transport system and
these winning projects are leading the charge by creating
cutting-edge solutions that could offer so much benefit for
all.”
“With sustainability at the core of this year's competition,
we're helping to shape the future of transport - making travel
cleaner, safer, and more efficient for everyone.”
Among the groundbreaking projects awarded funding through the
Government's Transport Research and Innovation Grant (TRIG) is
Vox Aeris with an invention that hopes to use sound waves and
music vibrations from a speaker to reduce harmful pollution
across transport networks.
Selene Sari, founder and CEO of Vox Aeris,
said:
“We are beyond excited to be a TRIG 2024 winner. This support
will be pivotal for developing our technology, assessing
feasibility with refined prototypes, and engaging early
stakeholders. We look forward to collaborating with Connected
Places Catapult and the Department for Transport.
“The financial backing, expertise, and network support we're
receiving will be crucial for us to advance to the next stage.
Having such robust support early in our journey will enable us to
move faster and connect with networks that would otherwise be
challenging to bring together.”
Previous TRIG winners include OpenSpace – a cutting-edge project
using digital twinning and AI to tackle rail station disruption.
By using special algorithms, it created the world's first
real-time simulated environment of St Pancras station to help
operators manage people flow, improve safety and boost customer
experience.
TRIG has been running for over a decade, funding more than
430 projects that have been ranged from better connecting rural
communities with a shuttle bus app to trialling the use of
hydrogen to make plane and boat journeys greener.
Erika Lewis, Chief Executive Officer at Connected Places
Catapult, said:
“Innovation in transport can unlock many benefits for society,
the economy and the environment. The Transport Research and
Innovation Grants programme has been supporting high-potential
innovators for a decade, through funding and dedicated business
support, helping them realise their commercial potential.
“This year's TRIG competition drew a fantastic response from
innovators, with the ‘Critical and Emerging Technologies'
challenge proving to be especially popular.”
Today, the Aviation, Maritime and Security Minister is at the
Transport Research and Innovation Grant Awards in Birmingham to
celebrate last year's successful winners and see firsthand the
what the funding can achieve.
Notes to editors
Full list of 2024 winners:
- Isles of Scilly Community Venture CIC
- University of Oxford- School of Geography and the
Environment, Transport Studies Unit
- University of Huddersfield
- Nottingham Trent University
- Cranfield University (Multi-vessel charging optimisation
platform)
- Civil Water Management Ltd
- Streetwise Technology LTD
- Vox Aeris Ltd
- Ingram Networks Ltd
- JET Connectivity
- Southwest Smart Applications Limited
