How can the use of digital twins help solve the UK’s transport challenges?

Funding opportunity to develop use cases to solve the UK’s transport challenges using digital twins. Use cases should be for the benefit of users/passengers - the environment, or the economy to revolutionise the UK's transport system.

 🔔 Applications close on Friday 30 December at 23:59pm 🔔 

We are looking for innovative SMEs to identify transport system challenges and propose solutions using ‘digital shadows’ and/or ‘digital twins’ for enhanced decision making. These use cases will feed into and support the development of a vision and roadmap for digital twins.  

Use cases should aim to improve transport for the user, reduce environmental impacts of transport, or support levelling up of the UK economy. 

Up to ten SMEs will each be granted up to £6,000 to develop digital twin use cases that help to solve UK transport decarbonisation challenges. 

Responses should describe the potential impact of proposed use case ideas. 

Definitions of digital shadows and digital twins (figure 5) alongside further Information about digital Innovation can be found in the BEIS document: Enabling a national Cyber-Physical Infrastructure to catalyse innovation: consultation. 

Who is it for?
SMEs with a UK registered office, interested in exploring the use of digital twins to address UK transport decarbonisation challenges and to contribute to shaping the future of connected digital twins in the UK transport system. 

What are the challenge areas?
Use cases should be focused around at least one of the following three themes: 

• Improving transport for the user 
• Reducing the environmental impact of transport and moving towards decarbonisation 
• Levelling up the UK economy 

Use cases should also apply to one or more of the following transport modes: 

• Aviation 
• Maritime 
• Rail 
• Road

Why Apply?

• Receive funding to further develop a transport digital twin use case 
• Engage with the UK’s Transport Research and Innovation Board (TRIB) to refine the transport use cases 
• Contribute to and inform the vision and roadmap for connected digital twins in the transport sector 
• Opportunities to raise awareness of proposed solutions 

How will the competition work?
Applications will be received by Friday 30 December at 23:59pm. 

Successful applications at the first stage will be interviewed on either the 18, 19 or 20 January 2023. 

Successful projects will then be issued an offer letter before the end of January for projects to begin in February 2023. 

SMEs will be funded up to £6000 during February 2023 to develop their transport digital twin use case with input from challenge owners, who will support the writeup of the use cases. 

Challenge owners will be brought into the project once the scope of the responses have been confirmed. 

Eligibility 
Open to Small to Medium size Enterprises (SMEs) with a UK registered office. An SME is any organisation that has fewer than 250 employees and a turnover of less than €50 million or a balance sheet total less than €43 million. 

Key Dates 
Competition opens – 9 December 
Competition deadline – 30 December (23:59) 
Final funding decisions –  24 January  
Interviews – 18, 19, and 20 January 2023 
Offer letters issued – End of January 2023 
Projects start – Beginning of February 2023 
Project complete – End of March 2023 

Get in contact
For any queries please get in touch by emailing at: innovation_funding@cp.catapult.org.uk

How to apply?
Complete the application form to apply for this opportunity. You can also download the Application Guidance and FAQ document to help with your application.

To apply via the Connected Places Catapult website, click here.