The West Midlands became the epicentre of a very different kind of traffic at the European Space Agency (ESA)’s Space for Intermodal Transport Workshop held at the impressive Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre in Dudley, UK. In the heart of the English ‘Black Country’, this area has a rich industrial heritage and was a fitting venue for innovative solution developers and stakeholders to discover ways to harness satellite data to transform the future of intermodal transport.
The one-day session was hosted in partnership with the Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation (BCIMO) as part of the Clean Futures Catalyst. ESA’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) programme, Connected Places Catapult, and Coventry University came together to emphasise the importance of finding positive ways to enhance intermodal transport operations.
Intermodal transportation is the process of moving cargo or passengers using multiple modes of transport. This presents numerous challenges, including coordinating these different modes of transportation, ensuring standardisation, managing tracking and collaborating with stakeholders. The workshop participants, representing multiple sectors, explored how satellite data and advanced technologies could be integrated to create seamless and innovative business processes for intermodal transport systems.
The event welcomed experts from the space, logistics, and transport sectors, along with representatives from technology companies to explore innovative strategies. Attendees explored how they could work together by using satellite data and advanced space technologies to develop partnerships and cutting-edge competitive solutions to some of the efficiency and sustainability challenges faced by the transport sector.
Liz Barrow, Land Mobility Lead at ESA BASS, explained how everyone in attendance could have a role to play in driving innovation through ESA’s Space for Intermodal Transport Funding Call. “The discussions and insightful speakers at the event truly highlighted the potential benefits that BASS can facilitate for the future of sustainable intermodal transport solutions,” said Mrs. Barrow. “The connections made during the workshop were invaluable, leaving us all feeling very optimistic about the future interactions and partnerships.”
The guest speakers at the event outlined how BASS funding enables projects to pioneer sustainable and future-proof transport solutions for all. Andrew Tewkesbury, Solutions Consultant at Airbus Defence and Space, highlighted the success of the LUCI project, which pioneers land use change detection for railways, thanks to the previous BASS Space for Rail funding call. “The guidance we received from the BASS programme was an absolute gamechanger,” said Dr. Tewkesbury. He reassured attendees that despite Great Britain being a “very cloudy country,” they were still able to obtain the high-resolution images needed for adjacent land use change identification. “We are excited about the future possibilities this collaboration opens for us,” he added.
Matthias Gropp, Director at Murphy Geospatial, shared insights around the impact of space technology on their geospatial monitoring project. “Space technology was necessary to complete our project. Otherwise, it would have taken a lot longer,” he said. Reflecting on his humble beginnings using his local church spire, for geospatial guidance, Gropp added, “Space data and its capabilities were mind-blowing when I was younger, and they still are thirty years later.”
During the day, participants were given the opportunity to tour the centre, where they came face to face with some of the inspiring projects currently being put forward, most of which have never been showcased outside of a laboratory before. Projects like Treeva, which generates renewable energy from passing transport, were among those that sparked significant intrigue. The enthusiasm from the pitching companies fueled many subsequent conversations about collaboration.
Paul Bhatia, ESA BASS UK Ambassador for the Midlands and Northern England, and Master of Ceremonies for the event, encouraged everyone in attendance to make the most of this important opportunity for learning, funding, and networking, encouraging stakeholders to work together towards a sustainable future.
The workshop facilitated matchmaking between developers and stakeholders during the designated networking sessions, creating opportunities for future collaboration. The participants were divided into separate groups for efficient and informative discussions, ensuring that everyone had the opportunity to meet all the participants. The diverse range of projects and discussions left participants feeling optimistic about the future interactions and partnerships that will continue to emerge from the BASS programme.
Space for Intermodal Transport Funding Call
ESA BASS are looking for innovative ideas that leverage space data and advanced technologies to enhance intermodal transport. This includes solutions that address environmental sustainability, efficiency, flexibility, and safety. Examples of supported ideas include:
Environmental Sustainability: Reducing road congestion and optimising transport choices to minimise emissions.
Efficiency and Flexibility: Implementing advanced tracking systems and demand-responsive transport models to create seamless and cost-effective operations. Using satellite positioning, navigation and timing technologies and IoT devices for real-time updates on the location of passengers and goods can propose alternative transport combinations.
Safety: Ensuring reliable communication in low-connectivity areas and minimising handling of goods to reduce risks of theft or damage.
ESA BASS invites proposals that demonstrate market potential, viable service concepts, technical feasibility, and value from space data or technology.
Find out more about the Funding Call