The funding has been awarded by the Department for Transport through the Transport Research and Innovation Grant (TRIG) programme. This year, a total of 67 transport tech projects — 80% of which are based outside of London — have received financial support.

The TRIG programme was launched in 2014 in a bid to support innovative projects, ideas, and concepts that could facilitate a better transport system — including transport decarbonisation, weather resilience, and improving the passenger experience.

The government has said that the funded projects and companies this year include:

1. Makesense Technology, to create an app that uses augmented reality (AR) to create walking routes to help visually-impaired travellers navigate railway stations.
2. Bluewater Engineering Ltd, to develop its SKYTUG system which uses large kites to tow ships at the same speed as a traditionally-powered craft, which could help reduce the use of polluting engines and decarbonise shipping.
3. IONA Logistics Ltd, to explore how autonomous drones based out of small delivery hubs can be used to deliver small packages faster and cheaper to hard-to-reach rural areas.
4. Transreport Limited, to create an app that allows disabled and older passengers to book the support they need on plans in advance to improve the experience. (This app is already in use on trains.)
5. Port of Tyne, to explore the viability of using remotely-controlled — and in some instances automated — electric heavy-duty robots to replace HGVs to provide a cleaner, faster alternative.
6. CC Informatics, to explore the use of drones to create 3D digital models of structures — such as bridges and rail tracks — to identify cracks and defects in the structures that would otherwise be invisible, meaning repairs can be made quicker.
7. Imperial College London, to research the use of Kiacrete — a new type of paving made from recycled materials instead of concrete — to see how it can be used on highways to drain away surface water and reduce flooding.

Since its inception, the TRIG programme has supported nearly 300 transport-focused tech projects, providing around £12 million in funding support.

On this year’s programme winners — and the TRIG programme more generally — Minister Jesse Norman said: “From making travelling easier for visually impaired passengers to improving rural connectivity, these winning projects have the potential to transform the future of transport.”

“The Government wants the UK to be a world leader in the future of transport, and through the TRIG programme the Department for Transport is supporting innovators and businesses to decarbonise and improve transport while growing the economy and supporting jobs across the UK.”

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Nicola Yates OBE, the Chief Executive Officer of Connected Places Catapult — the TRIG programme’s delivery partner — said: “By getting funding into innovative start-ups, we are creating jobs of the future and growing vital areas of the economy.

“Transport Research and Innovation Grants support high-potential innovators to develop their ideas into new products and services. In addition to an injection of funding, companies that join the TRIG cohort benefit from access to experts from Connected Places Catapult to help them on their journey to commercialisation.”