Transport for London (TfL) has announced that Mercedes-Benz and Sopra Steria have been appointed as partners on its new Innovation Collaboration Framework (ICF).
The four-year framework looks to directly address key transport challenges such as achieving sustainability, making public transport safer and helping services become more efficient and reliable.
Through the framework, TfL and the partners will work together to create new concepts and products to help improve how people move around and live in the UK capital city.
Unlike conventional procurement, the ICF allows TfL, Mercedes-Benz and Sopra Steria to work on problems as they emerge, taking a solution from concept to scale.
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It also enables the partners to test new products on the TfL network, allowing solutions to be assessed in a real-world environment and create opportunities to scale products in the future.
The framework allows the two partners to reach out to start-ups, academics, and small/medium enterprises. According to TfL, this will reduce the time it takes to develop solutions as partners can help identify appropriate organisaitons to address problems as they arise.
The ICF does not involve any cost to the taxpayer until solutions are developed and is designed to enable TfL to earn revenue from the innovations that result from it.
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Successful products can also be commercialised overseas markets, thereby bringing additional revenue that can be invested into the TfL network.
Thomas Ableman, director of strategy and innovation at TfL, said: “The Innovation Collaboration Framework is a completely new way for us to work with the innovation marketplace and we’re really excited to welcome Mercedes-Benz and Sopra Steria as partners on this exciting new journey.”
Digital transformation company Sopra Steria has previously partnered with TfL to provide a range of services, including London’s traffic management system.
Achievements and innovations in public transport will be celebrated at the third annual CiTTi Awards, which will be held on 26 November 2024 at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Nominations officially open in March 2024. Please visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector.
