2019 Highways UK competition winners announced
Highways UK has a central role supporting and promoting innovation in the highways sector.
KTN was pleased to once again support the two innovation competitions at Highways UK. This year, KTN took part in the assessment of entries and also provided two judges for the Dragons Den style live final, held at the event itself: Simon Yarwood for Intelligent Infrastructure and Robert Quarshie for Materials.
Thermoelectric Conversion Systems was the overall winner of the Costain-sponsored Intelligent Infrastructure Challenge, with their configurable heat exchanger and control electronics package suitable for regulating the internal temperature of trackside and roadside stand-alone cabinets.
GCP Applied Technologies was the overall winner of the AECOM-sponsored Civils and Materials Innovation Hub¬†with VERIFI – a series of cloud connected sensors fitted to readymix trucks that monitor, measure and manage fresh concrete in transit.
For more information, click here.
Intelligent Infrastructure Challenge
The Intelligent Infrastructure Challenge (IIC), is an open innovation competition for industry which forms a major component of Highways UK, which in 2019 took place at the NEC on 6/7 November. The IIC is sponsored and supported by our gold partner Costain, the smart infrastructure solutions provider, who invests in research, innovation and technology and partners with SMEs to develop cutting edge solutions for clients.
Innovation lies at the core of the Government’s Industrial Strategy to put the UK at the forefront of the industries of the future. The strategy is geared around four Grand Challenges designed to mirror major global changes, one of which is the future of mobility. Mobility is also a significant element of the other three grand challenges: artificial intelligence and data, clean growth and ageing society.
Innovations in technology and business models have the potential to radically alter how people and goods move around our cities and places, and at the same time create significant social benefits including: safer streets, a more inclusive transport system, smoother journeys, more active travel and better public transport. Innovations in mobility can transform our society.
For more information, click here.
Civils and Materials Innovation Hub
The Civils and Materials Innovation Hub is a competition-based showcase for innovations that sets out to connect innovative ideas with real world highways clients.
Sponsored by AECOM and with the support of the Mineral Products Association, the Civils and Materials Innovation Hub is designed to raise awareness and acceptance of new and innovative products and processes used in the construction and maintenance of the UK’s roads networks.
Highways UK has a central role supporting and promoting innovation in the highways sector – we want to be a catalyst for innovation and accelerate the uptake of new ideas.
From self-healing asphalt to modular, off-site or automated construction techniques, there is huge opportunity through the use of innovative products, components, systems, processes, plant or materials used in the construction and maintenance of highways projects to reap many benefits ranging from improved durability, efficiency and sustainability to enhanced safety and comfort.
For more information, click here.