Self-driving delivery boats to shift focus from road to water

A self-driving parcel delivery boat is among 41 projects to win a share of £1.8 million in funding from the Government’s Transport Research and Innovation Grant.

The scheme supports businesses and academics working on innovative ideas in the early stages of their research.

It aims to improve our transport system across all modes, as well as growing the economy and supporting skilled UK jobs.   

Decarbonisation, aviation and technology minister, Anthony Browne, said: “We’re at the dawn of a new age for transport – AI can now help tackle universal challenges like station overcrowding or road congestion by using our historic waterways to deliver parcels by self-driving boat. 

“These hugely exciting initiatives represent the best of British innovation, showing it is UK companies, backed by Government funding, that are leading the way in this field, creating jobs and boosting our economy.”

Among this year’s winning projects is Rad Propulsion, which is creating a prototype that will make ‘last blue-mile’ parcel deliveries on UK waterways, aiming to cut road congestion and emissions, and improve air quality.

A project from the University of Strathclyde, meanwhile, is using data analysis to identify ideal sites for electric heavy goods vehicle (HGV) charging infrastructure across Scotland, supporting the industry’s transition to electric.

The Transport Research and Innovation Grant (TRIG) has now been running for a decade, funding more than 400 companies with more than £14m in investment.

Projects have been wide-ranging, from solutions to improve the accessibility of transport to the future of freight. 

TRIG projects regularly progress to the demonstration and scaling stages of development, showing the scheme’s success in feeding a pipeline of innovation, says the Department for Transport (DfT).  

This year’s scheme focused on a number of different challenges including airports, local transport and maritime decarbonisation, AI, digital twins, the future of connectivity and the future of freight.  

The grant is delivered in collaboration with the Connected Places Catapult (CPC), the UK’s innovation accelerator for cities, transport and place leadership.

Erika Lewis, chief executive at Connected Places Catapult, said: “Transport Research and Innovation Grants support high-potential innovators to develop fresh ideas to tackle some of the UK’s most pressing transport challenges.

“Grants have been awarded to projects right across the country covering many transport modes, with several recipients considering how technology developed for one sector could be transferred to another.

“Alongside the funding, all 41 projects will receive specialist business support from Connected Places Catapult to help them realise their commercial potential.”