University of Birmingham in partnership agreement with Transport Systems Catapult

The University of Birmingham has signed a Deep Academic Alliance agreement with the Transport Systems Catapult (now known as Connected Places Catapult), marking the start of a three-year strategic collaboration.

Launched in 2017, the Deep Academic Alliance programme creates strategic partnerships between the Catapult and universities that are playing a leading role in the fast-growing Intelligent Mobility sector – projected to be worth £1.4 trillion a year by 2030.

The programme is designed to help universities more closely align their transport-related research with commercial opportunities and the needs of industry and government.

The agreement was formally signed at the Rail Industry Association’s annual Innovation Conference in Telford by Professor Clive Roberts and Paul Campion.

Clive Roberts, Professor of Rail Systems and Director of the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education at the University of Birmingham, said: “We look forward to working more closely with the Transport Systems Catapult and to addressing together one of the key ‘Grand Challenges’ in the UK government’s Industrial Strategy, looking at the future of mobility and how to make travel safer, better connected and more efficient, as well as delivering on the UK’s ambition to be a world leader in smart transportation.”

Transport Systems Catapult CEO, Paul Campion, said: “The University of Birmingham is a recognised global authority for transport innovation, and their expertise in areas as diverse as digital infrastructure, material light-weighting, component end-of-life design and alternative propulsion systems makes them an ideal addition to our growing number of Deep Academic Alliance partners.”

The agreement with the University of Birmingham follows on from the recent Deep Academic Alliance made with University College London (UCL).