HS2 to back further innovation

HS2 Ltd is inviting new applications for its Innovation Accelerator.

It is seeking five UK-registered companies to harness the power of artificial intelligence to assist with design changes which may be needed during the project’s construction phase.

This is the fifth round of grants being made to innovative technology firms, and the deadline is October 30.

It has been devised with Connected Places Catapult and Bruntwood SciTech, and the 17 pilot projects have so far attracted more than £110 million in funding and investment.

HS2 is also advertising for a company to manage the finances of a new £50m Innovation Fund it has set up to invest in UK start-up companies.

The initiative, which has the support of the Department for Transport and major companies in the new high-speed route’s supply chain, focuses on firms that are improving the construction efficiency of the project and reducing carbon emissions.

More details will be available when it is launched next spring.