The third year of the £7 million Freight Innovation Fund Accelerator launched on 1 May 2024 with £1.8m targeted at boosting British freight decarbonisation efforts.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can receive up to £1.8m in government funding to support the freight sector in deploying AI technology and automation to improve the way trains, lorries, vans and ships carry parcels and goods.
The first two years of the fund saw nearly £3m allocated to several SMEs which worked with companies to make British supply chains cleaner and more efficient, while improving how freight is carried across rail, maritime and road transport.
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 fund was originally launched in January 2023 as part of the government’s ‘Future of Freight’ plan and builds on previous government initiatives designed to support increased research and development in the freight industry.
It has supported projects like the high-profile I-Port project – Royal Mail’s drone delivery trial in Orkney with Skyports Drone Services, Orkney Islands Council Harbour Authority and Loganair. This project benefitted from a £150,000 grant as part of the Freight Innovation Fund.
For more information on the rise of drone deliveries, keep an eye out for the delivery drones feature in the May issue of Logistics Manager!
Examples of technologies supported in other funds include: Hypermile – which introduced an AI programme that offers real-time feedback to help lorry drivers save fuel; Fishbone Solutions – which launched a programme that uses vibrational data from rail freight wagons and AI analysis to determine whether the wagons are working correctly; and CGA Simulation – which developed a tool that simulates urban environments to predict the best place where to build new infrastructure and improve logistics.
Delivered by Connected Places Catapult, the Freight Innovation Fund aims to give SMEs access to technical and business support from the organisation.
Connected Places Catapult’s CEO, Erika Lewis, said: “The UK’s freight sector plays a major contribution to our economy, but there are many opportunities worth exploring to improve efficiencies and environmental performance associated with the movement of goods.
“I am excited to see what new ideas and technologies companies taking part in the Freight Innovation Fund Accelerator come up with, and I encourage SMEs to come forward.”
If you’re interested in decarbonising logistics and the feasibility of net zero targets, register now for Logistics Manager’s Sustainable Supply Chain Conference. This one-day face-to-face event will allow delegates to hear directly from industry-leading speakers how business sustainability can influence their bottom line.
