Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK can now bid for a share of £1.8m in government funding to develop solutions designed to make freight cleaner, more sustainable and more efficient.
Aiming to support the UK’s freight sector in deploying artificial intelligence (AI) technology and automation to improve the way trains, lorries, vans, and ships carry parcels and goods, the £1.8m forms part of a wider £7m Freight Innovation Fund Accelerator.
Now in its third year, the Freight Innovation Fund aims facilitate the delivery of innovative technology across the sector to decarbonise freight and boost the UK supply chain.
The first two years of the fund saw nearly £3m allocated to several SMEs working with industry-leading companies, such as Royal Mail working with Skyports to deliver mail by drones across the islands in Orkney, and FedEx trialling e-cargo bikes to deliver parcels quickly in traffic-heavy city centres.
According to the UK Department of Transport, previous funding winners have reported a collective £97m in commercial investment from the £1.2m Year 1 fund.
UK roads minister Guy Opperman said: “The freight and logistics sectors are part of our economy’s backbone, ensuring supermarket shelves are stocked, hospitals receive crucial medical supplies and important deliveries are made.
“That’s why, as part of the government’s plan to grow the economy, the Freight Innovation Fund is supporting businesses to innovate and back skilled UK jobs.”
The Freight Innovation Fund Year 3 follows £200m to roll-out hundreds of zero-emission trucks and lorries as well as road freight charging infrastructure.
The fund was originally launched in 2022 as part of the Future of Freight plan and builds on previous government initiatives designed to support increased research and development in the freight industry.
Previous technologies supported in other funds include an AI programme that offers real-time feedback to help lorry drivers save fuel; a programme that uses vibrational data from rail freight wagons and AI analysis to determine whether the wagons are working correctly; and a tool that simulates urban environments to predict the best place where to build new infrastructure and improve logistics.
The Freight Innovation Fund is being delivered by Connected Places Catapult, which will give SMEs access to technical and business support from the organisation.
Achievements and innovations in transport decarbonisation will be celebrated at the third annual CiTTi Awards, which will be held on 26 November 2024 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Nominations are open now! Please visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector.
