Nine small and medium-sized businesses will share nearly £1.1m (US$1.47m) in government funding to trial new technologies aimed at addressing key challenges in the UK freight and logistics sector.
The funding comes through the Department for Transport’s Freight Innovation Fund and will provide up to £130,000 to each company. The trials will be supported by Connected Places Catapult and will focus on improving efficiency, reducing emissions and enhancing workforce skills and wellbeing.
Technologies being tested include lightweight, aerodynamically designed trailers inspired by racing car engineering, sensor systems intended to monitor stress and improve staff welfare at ports, and electric cargo trailers designed to be pulled by bikes rather than cars or vans. All projects will be assessed in real operating environments, with the government aiming to build a pipeline of future-ready freight technologies.
Aviation, maritime and decarbonization minister Keir Mather said, “We know how crucial the freight industry is to keep Britain moving, and how important it is that transport is equipped to face modern-day challenges. Our funding will allow businesses to start trialling their revolutionary technology on our roads, ports and railways, meaning they can make an immediate difference and help grow the economy.”
The Freight Innovation Fund was first launched in 2023 and has supported 29 companies so far. According to Connected Places Catapult, 27 of those businesses have already conducted real-world trials, collectively securing more than £100m in follow-on investment and creating 44 jobs.
Sameer Savani, managing director for transport at Connected Places Catapult, said the sector “has enormous potential for innovation,” adding that he was “excited to see this fourth cohort of high-potential businesses working with the sector’s heavy-hitters to trial new ideas to improve freight.”
One previous beneficiary, Ensemble Analytics, used the fund to test its Athena workforce management platform with Associated British Ports and the Bristol Port Company. Co-founder and CEO Cato Davies said the program enabled the company “to work side by side” with port teams to refine the product, leading to commercial contracts and new partnerships in the UK and overseas.
The UK government highlighted the role of its Transport Research and Innovation Grants (TRIG) scheme, which supports earlier-stage transport innovation and can act as a feeder to the Freight Innovation Fund. A new national freight plan, due in 2026, will set out future priorities for building a more resilient, efficient and low-carbon freight system aligned with net zero goals.
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