The Global Centre of Rail Excellence has launched a major new rail innovation competition in partnership with InnovateUK and the Department for Business and Trade in the UK Government.
The £500,000 competition launched at InnoTrans 2024 in Berlin is calling on teams to develop new innovations that address major challenges in the global rail industry. The competition asks teams to address thematic rail challenges including track, vehicles, operations and construction.
The ideas encouraged through the competition include track innovations that minimise degradation of ballast and wheel systems; for vehicles, teams are invited to bring forward ideas to improve passenger comfort and aerodynamics; in operations ways to improve the transportation of hydrogen and loading of freight and in construction methods to support network resilience and the decarbonisation of concrete.
The competition – Contracts for Innovation: International Rail Innovation Challenges – has a clear global flavour with teams asked to develop ideas that can support challenges faced by the international rail industry. Those entering the competition are asked to collaborate with an international partner on their projects.
A briefing event for interested teams is available on the Innovate UK website where teams can also register to apply for the competition.
Successful teams can develop their ideas in partnership with the Global Centre of Rail Excellence which is being developed in South Wales. GCRE will be a facility for world class rail research, testing and innovation of rolling stock, infrastructure and cutting-edge new rail technologies.
GCRE Ltd Chief Executive Simon Jones said the competition was an important opportunity for the new facility.
Chief Executive of GCRE Limited, Simon Jones said: “I’m delighted to help launch this competition today at InnoTrans 2024 which will help break new ground in international rail innovation. With our partners Innovate UK and the Department for Business and Trade we are beginning one of the most interesting and creative innovation competitions in rail today.
“The challenges that have been set and that we are inviting teams to address and focus on are some of the most critical in rail. The ideas that come forward could play an important role in the development of the stronger, greener and more reliable passenger and freight railways we need to see across the world on the path to 2050. They will also help to demonstrate the rail industry’s ongoing commitment to address a range of international rail innovation challenges.
“This competition – and particularly its international dimension – is an important one for GCRE as it shows once again the wide commercial appeal of the facility we are developing because of the unique infrastructure we will have here. Nowhere else in Europe will have infrastructure like GCRE and because of that we’re keen to develop our relationship with Innovate UK further over the next few years.
“It’s great to get the competition started and to highlight the practical ways in which the Global Centre of Rail Excellence facility will support teams.”
Head of Innovation at GCRE Limited, Kelvin Davies said: “As a site for world class innovation, GCRE will be Europe’s first, purpose-built facility for rolling stock testing, infrastructure innovation and net zero technology development. So it’s a natural fit for us to be working Innovate UK and the Department for Business and Trade on this initiative.
“This competition is one of the most wide-ranging to be launched in the last few years and offers teams the chance to be very imaginative in the ideas and the innovations they come forward with.
“I’d encourage those interested to register and to view the on-line briefing event to hear more about the exciting opportunity this competition offers.”
Head of Rail at the Department for Business and Trade, Mike Noakes said: “The global rail industry continues to grow, recognising the importance of efficient, low carbon infrastructure and transport to growth all over the world. Yet we face unprecedented challenges arising from climate change that new and existing railways must face up to.
“After discussions with rail industry leaders, we have set out some of the most pressing issues to form the specification for these International Rail Innovation Challenges and so look forward to supporting innovative and ground-breaking ideas that will help the railway thrive as we go forward.”
