Rail Innovation in Scotland: First of a Kind 2022 competition funding announced

Wednesday 11 May 2022

Did you know that around £1m was invested in Scotland’s rail sector through the First of a Kind 2021 competition last year? Lenz Ltd, Whereverly and Arcola Energy (now Ballard Motive Solutions) were Scottish based recipients of a share of the UK railway competition funding.

Following the Rail Cluster Project’s successful Rail Innovation Day for Scotland event held last February, we are delighted to host this year’s event with Innovate UK and KTN and look forward to seeing you at what will be a highly informative event. Come and join us on Wednesday 11 May 1200-1430, and hear all about Innovate UK’s First of a Kind (FOAK) 2022 railway competition. This competition aims to demonstrate innovations to stakeholders and railway customers in a representative railway environment. This is a Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) competition funded by the Department for Transport (DfT).

This year, organisations can apply for a share of up to £7.6 million (inclusive of VAT) to develop demonstrators that enable lower emissions and a greener railway, innovations in rail freight, and cost efficiencies and performance priorities for a reliable railway.

For more information on the competition themes, see below:

• SBRI: FOAK 2022 Low emissions and a greener railway
• SBRI: FOAK 2022 Rail Freight 
• SBRI: FOAK 2022 Cost efficiency and performance priorities for a reliable railway

This competition is part of a wider ‘First of a Kind’ demonstrator initiative, on behalf of the DfT, to accelerate innovation in the UK rail sector and enable technologies to be readily and efficiently integrated into the railway system. You will also hear from key organisations across the rail sector who will speak about their particular challenges in line with the competition themes. We are delighted to welcome Transport Scotland, Network Rail, ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper and the Rail Freight Group who will also present as part of this event.

Agenda

1200      Welcome from the Rail Cluster Project

1205      Transport Scotland – including 5 mins Q&A

1225      ScotRail – including 5 mins Q&A

1255      Network Rail – including 5 mins Q&A

1315      Short break – tea coffee/grab lunch

1325      Innovate UK – Kelvin Davies – FOAK 2022 competition including 5 mins Q&A

1325      KTN – Daisy Chapman-Chamberlin

1345      Rail Freight Group – including 5 mins Q&A

1405      Caledonian Sleeper – including 5 mins Q&A

1425      Summary and close from Rail Cluster Project.

Register here

About Innovate UK

Innovate UK is the UK’s national innovation agency. We support business-led innovation in all sectors, technologies and UK regions. We help businesses grow through the development and commercialisation of new products, processes, and services, supported by an outstanding innovation ecosystem that is agile, inclusive, and easy to navigate.

About KTN

The world we live in faces ever-changing societal, environmental and economic challenges, which are felt regionally, nationally and also globally. At Innovate UK KTN our mission is to connect ideas, people and communities to respond to these challenges and drive positive change through innovation.

Our diverse connections span business, government, funders, research and the third sector.