Government is committed to ‘levelling up’, so that every corner of the country can benefit and share in future prosperity. Transport connectivity is an essential input into the efficient functioning of markets, reducing the costs of doing business and supporting linkages between key sectors of the economy. More efficient and faster delivery of major projects are fundamental to job creation and so a key lever for economic growth and our recovery from Covid-19. We are therefore enhancing the national strategic transport network, shifting the focus of DfT investment towards major projects that link the towns, cities and left behind places outside of London and the South East.
Key areas of focus are:
• More productive cities and towns
• Support local growth and regeneration
• Support jobs and skills
• Improve networks between major economic centres, and with international gateways
• Strengthening the Union
Delivery of major programmes such as HS2, the Integrated Rail Plan, TransPennine Route Upgrade, the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail and the Roads Investment Strategy are fundamental to job creation and a key lever for economic growth and our recovery from Covid-19. Further commitments are outlined in the UK R&D Place Strategy which is being published this year as part of the UK R&D Roadmap. The research and evidence needs set out below are critical to supporting DfT deliver these major programmes and key areas of focus to grow and level up the economy.
Get in touch with BridgetoResearch@dft.gov.uk
This question was published as part of the set of ARIs in this document:
There is an urgent need, and a transformative opportunity, to develop and exploit major advances in scientific understanding (including in the social and environmental sciences), multidisciplinary systems thinking, techn...
Funded by: EPSRC
Lead research organisation: University of Southampton
The project addresses the need to reduce the cost of ownership of current and future infrastructure assets and provides evidence for new paradigms in infrastructure.
Over the next few years, the construction sector will witness a wave of infrastructure projects (£60 billion of spend each year over the next decade) and ground work will be undertaken to set future financial settl...
Funded by: ISCF
Lead research organisation: NSAR LIMITED
The project focuses on improving efficiency in the construction sector for transport infrastructure, aligning with the goal of reducing construction costs for road schemes.
The Funding, Financing & Emerging Technologies in Infrastructure workshop to be held in New York City in December 2021 will help transform civil and social infrastructure in the United Kingdom(UK) and United States (...
Funded by: EPSRC
Lead research organisation: University of Cambridge
The project explores how new and proven technologies can improve infrastructure delivery and evaluates alternative contracting and procurement approaches.