A new research hub, backed by £10 million in Government funding, is being launched to establish a UK centre of excellence for transport innovation.

Decarbonisation minister Jesse Norman has announced applications are open today (February 2) for organisations to host the new centre, which will be known as the Net Zero Transport Infrastructure for a Resilient Future Research Hub.

The Department for Transport (DfT) hopes the new hub will drive decarbonisation solutions, such as greater use of recycled materials and reducing the carbon footprint of repairs and maintenance.

It will focus on the UK’s transport sector’s needs over the next 25 years as the Government works to meet its 2050 net zero goal.

Norman said: “Innovation is key to the growth of the transport sector, and the creation of high-skilled jobs and business opportunities across the UK.

“This new UK research hub will build a centre of excellence for the future development of low-carbon transport.”

The hub will aim to provide a link for early-stage innovation and later stage demonstration across multiple transport modes to create, develop and test climate-resilient solutions that recognise how different places and types of transport will require different answers.

Some of the areas the hub will be expected to research include:

• Solutions for resilient transport infrastructure – researching ways to improve the design of transport related infrastructure to better cope with potential climate impacts and reduce emissions, for example increasing use of recycled materials, increasing biodiversity in projects, or ways to use fewer materials.
• Streetscape – designing streets to minimise carbon emissions, improve drivers’ and pedestrians’ mental health and wellbeing, and ensure their resilience to potential climate impacts.
• Localised climate modelling of temperature, sea-level and weather – gaining a better understanding of potential climate impacts on specific areas, in part, to prioritise those places most in need for possible adaptive measures and projects
• Bridge the gap between infrastructure research and policy – researching ways to shorten the time between developing innovative solutions and their wider adoption.

UK Research and Innovation Building a Green Future lead, Professor Sir Duncan Wingham, said: “A partnership between the Department for Transport and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the Net Zero Transport Infrastructure for a Resilient Future Research Hub will lead the cross-UK research that is needed to effect transformational change in the transport sector.

“It will lead future developments to decarbonise our transport sector, a crucial component of achieving the UK’s net zero 2050 target.

“It will also help to ensure our transport systems remain resilient to hazards caused by extreme weather events and climactic changes that are already apparent.”

More than 80% of the funding for the hub will come from Government through the DfT, UKRI (via the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council), and organisations in the Transport Research and Innovation Board, with the remaining coming from the winning research centre, which will become the home of the hub.