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:
RoadSaver will harness the road condition data currently being gathered by highway authorities. The objective is to extract better value from the vast amount of road condition data routinely gathered by local highway aut...
Funded by: Innovate UK
Lead research organisation: TRL LIMITED
The project addresses the problem of extracting meaningful information from road condition data, which is relevant to the question. However, it does not fully answer the question.
This partnership started 10 years ago, when Costain started a collaborative research programme with Highways England and the University of Cambridge that sponsored 27 PhD studentships and led to the establishment of thre...
Funded by: EPSRC
Lead research organisation: University of Cambridge
The project proposes a concept for disrupting the roads infrastructure sector and making roads smarter, which is relevant to the question. However, it does not fully answer the question.
Infrastructure provides the backbone of modern societies. In our daily lives, we depend on supplies of water and energy, road, rail and other transport networks, communication networks, and waste disposal and recycling, ...
Funded by: EPSRC
Lead research organisation: Science and Technology Facilities Council
The project aims to provide a platform for a federated national infrastructure digital twin, which is relevant to the question. However, it does not fully answer the question.