Small firms compete to innovate

Innovations sought in areas such as safety products and processes for trackside workers, and equipment on trains or lineside to improve reliability.

The Transport Systems Catapult and Alstom have launched a £50,000 railway innovation competition for small and medium-sized enterprises. 

The Rail Grand Challenge aims to generate and develop innovations for the industry in areas such as safety products and processes for trackside workers, and equipment on trains or lineside to improve reliability.

A prize of up to £50,000 is available to help an SME to develop the winning idea. The winner will have the opportunity to work with Alstom to see the concept realised on the railway network. 

The competition closes at the end of the May and can be entered via the Transport Systems Catapult website: ts.catapult.org.uk.

Ouahcene Ourahmoune, innovation manager for Alstom, said: “UK SMEs have a world-class record of innovation and generating solutions to some of the biggest challenges in science, technology and engineering. The Rail Grand Challenge competition reflects our desire to work even closer with these businesses.” 

Ourahmoune continued: “Through collaboration with Alstom and the funding boost we have available to the winner we are hoping we can take an idea straight from the drawing board to the railways in a short time, allowing the SME involved to grow in the process. In the future Alstom is hoping to run a number of these competitions so hopefully we can continue to drive innovation in this way.”