Connect and innovate with Highways England

Highways England are inviting companies to be part of the fourth industrial revolution.

The Agency is asking companies with innovative ideas to join them in helping solve future transport problems. For example; could you create a road surface that heals itself to make it more resilient for the future? Do you have an idea or product that will help prepare the highways infrastructure for the coming of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAV)?

Highways England has launched an ‘Innovation Portal’ to help identify things that could make roads safer for motorists and road workers, improve how information reaches those travelling around or help deliver an ambitious programme of road schemes.

The online platform shows just some of the research and development being funded by Highways England through a special fund it has ring-fenced for innovation. These include an intelligent and connected construction plant development to make excavation work safer and more productive, mobile safety equipment to protect our road workers and CAV test bed sites to prepare our network for future vehicles.

Launching the portal, Paul Doney, Innovation and Continuous Improvement Director, Highways England, said: “This is a really exciting time to work in infrastructure and in a world with technology at our fingertips the possibilities for the future are endless.

“At Highways England we have an ambitious roads programme and we want to harness the good ideas out there to help us build our future network.

“The new Innovation Portal gives a two-way platform to connect on. It shows everyone the areas that really matter to us and the challenges we expect to face: improving safety for road users and our work force, customer service and delivering our ambitious road programme.

“If you think you can help us and want to be part of this come and speak with us at Highways England.”

Highways England is keen to engage with the industry, small and medium-sized enterprises, research organisations and academic bodies.

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