Cutting-edge, innovative ideas to decarbonise the country’s
highways will be brought to life thanks to tens of millions of
pounds in government funding.
The £30 million Live Labs 2 competition, funded by the Department
for Transport (DfT), is being announced today.
The funding will support pioneering projects looking at ways to
decarbonise local highways infrastructure in regions across the
UK. There will be a particular focus on making the construction,
maintenance and running of the UK’s roads more sustainable.
Now in its second round of funding, the competition, organised by
the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning
and Transport (ADEPT),
is the latest move in the government’s drive to create cleaner
air and reach net zero emissions by 2050.
Transport Minister said:
Investing in innovation is a priority for this government. That’s
why we’re supporting local highways authorities to develop
cutting-edge projects and help drive our decarbonisation
mission.
Our £30 million investment will go towards a greener, safer
transport landscape. It will help create green, high-skilled jobs
across the country and I look forward to seeing these innovative
ideas brought to life.
The launch of the second round of the competition follows the
success of the first £22.9 million Live Labs
programme which launched in May 2019 and supported the
creation of 8 local projects testing innovative solutions on
local roads.
Previous projects included:
- fibre cables that detect vibrations from vehicles and
dynamically change signal junctions to combat congestion
- trials involving drones to detect potholes in Kent
- plastic roads in Cumbria to boost value for money in the
construction of highways
Staffordshire County Council also secured the expertise of 2
industry leaders to install plant-based living walls to tackle
roadside emissions. The walls act as natural filters made from
plants and mosses as part of a national clean air trial.
Meanwhile, Buckinghamshire Council and Suffolk County Council
demonstrated how the application of smart transport technology
can be expanded to offer greater social value than initially
anticipated.
Their project involved repurposing road sensors, typically used
to monitor traffic volumes and weather conditions, to be used in
adult social care.
The technology was additionally used to allow vulnerable people
to live independently for longer by installing the sensors around
a house to monitor daily activities, sending signals to carers
when needed.
Paula Hewitt, ADEPT President,
said:
ADEPT is delighted to be able to move ahead on Live
Labs 2 with this new round of DfT funding and support.
The highways and transport sector is the UK’s single biggest
carbon emitter and although we are seeing a transition to
electric vehicles, there is a huge gap where we are yet to tackle
road infrastructure and maintenance.
Local authorities are perfectly placed to lead the drive to
create net zero highways and local roads from the bottom up. The
Live Labs format has proven particularly successful for highways
authorities, enabling rapid change, innovation and
experimentation.
Following the success of the first ADEPT SMART
Places Live Labs programme, Live Labs 2 aims to build on the
partnerships between DfT, councils, commercial
partners, SMEs and
academia to deliver scalable zero carbon objectives with
potential for commercialisation and applicability to diverse
areas across the UK.
The ADEPT Live
Labs initiative demonstrates the government’s commitment to
investing in innovation to decarbonise the UK’s transport
network, making it greener and more efficient for all.
By issuing significant investments for each project, the fund
aims to help local highways authorities and enterprises develop
and propel their ideas to market even quicker.
