A collective £1.95m funding pot has been awarded by the Department for Transport (DfT) to 51 innovative transport projects aimed at improving services, protecting key transport networks and supporting the further decarbonisation of travel.
Part of the Government’s Transport Research and Innovation Grant (TRIG) programme, it is the latest funding award in a programme which has ran since 2014.
The latest awards represented the largest number of projects supported in a single round of funding.
The four key themes for the winning bids were:
- maritime decarbonisation
- future of freight
- Covid-19 recovery
- transport resilience
Considerations were also made as an open call, where any transport-related idea was considered.
This marked the 11th round of funding from the TRIG programme, which has provided more than £6m in grants since its inception eight years ago, supporting over 200 projects.
This year, the programme made significant efforts to encourage a diverse mix of applicants, with successful project proposals coming from as far afield as Southampton to the Shetland Islands.
Transport Minister Trudy Harrison said: “Innovation funded as part of TRIG could be the key to unlocking a more efficient and safer transport system for tomorrow.
“I support the ingenious ideas of this year’s cohort every step of the way and wish the successful applicants all the very best. I look forward to seeing the ideas develop to boost our green agenda and create high-skilled jobs across the UK.”
DfT will also be working in partnership with Connected Places Catapult this year to pilot an Innovation Accelerator Programme, which will support companies at a later stage in their innovation journeys.
Rachel Gardner-Poole, Chief Operating Officer at Connected Places Catapult, added: “TRIG is a one-of-a-kind programme. It provides a mechanism to identify and support early-stage innovation that might slip through the nets of traditional funding routes.
“Connected Places Catapult is extremely proud to deliver TRIG 2021, which is supporting over 50 innovators across 4 different challenges, including the future of freight, maritime decarbonisation, Covid-19 recovery and resilient transport systems. I am excited to see what great products and services arise.”
