UK Government Backs Greener Freight with £1.2 Million Boost
Britain is set for a freight revolution as the government hands £1.2 million to nine cutting-edge projects aiming to cut emissions and ease traffic chaos. From drone deliveries buzzing over remote Scottish islands to sleek electric delivery vehicles on city streets, these innovations promise cleaner, smarter freight solutions.
Drones and Electric Vehicles: The Future of UK Freight
- Government funds first winners of the Freight Innovation Fund to fight freight emissions and improve transport links.
- Projects include drone deliveries in the Orkney Islands and lightweight electric delivery vehicles.
- New tech to slash pollution, reduce traffic, and create skilled jobs across the UK.
The Freight Innovation Fund (FIF) — a £7 million government pot launched under the Future of Freight plan — has awarded its inaugural round of funding to pioneering SMEs. Leading the pack, Skyports Deliveries will use drones to connect the Orkney Islands, working alongside Royal Mail and Loganair, while Electric Assisted Vehicles develops a four-wheeled electric lightweight delivery buggy to replace gas-guzzling vans.
Meet the Freight Trailblazers Transforming UK Deliveries
Here’s how the cash is getting spent:
- Skyports Deliveries (£150,000): Drone-powered island-to-island deliveries and monitoring in Orkney, improving port logistics.
- CurbCargo (£120,000): Using data to track freight’s environmental impact and convince firms to cut vehicle trips.
- Lightricity (£119,000): Battery-free trackers powered by indoor light, reducing costs and boosting sustainability.
- Electric Assisted Vehicles (£150,000): Developing electric lightweight delivery vehicles to replace petrol vans.
- Otaski Energy & Syselek (£145,000): Smart charging tech allowing EVs to feed power back into the grid, improving energy reliability.
- CocoonFMS (£129,000): Digital tools automating port and shipping cost management to reduce delays.
- Entopy (£145,000): Creating digital shipment twins for real-time tracking and smarter freight management.
- RoboK (£133,000): AI analysing CCTV to spot inefficiencies in port operations and cut costly delays.
- Estudio Cactus (£100,000): Real-time software to boost health, safety, and efficiency at portsmouth/" title="Portsmouth" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked">Portsmouth International Port.
Revolutionising Freight: Better, Cleaner, Smarter
“Whether it’s drones for deliveries on remote islands or zero-emission buggies – we want to invest in future technology that could transform how we move goods around the country while reducing emissions and traffic and creating skilled jobs,” said Roads Minister Richard Holden.
“The Freight Innovation Fund gives innovators the opportunity to test their ideas and help our freight industry become greener and more efficient – unlocking better connectivity and boosting growth across the country.”
The Fund will provide business support and create a “freight innovation cluster” to help winners attract investment and collaborate, driving further growth in the sector. The projects aim to solve three big freight headaches:
- Poor data sharing across freight modes like road, rail and sea.
- Challenges in shifting large cargo between different transport methods.
- Improving freight distribution in ports for smoother journeys.
Nicola Yates OBE, CEO of Connected Places Catapult, added:
“The freight sector has an enormous opportunity to support jobs and growth across the UK, which is why today we are pleased to welcome the 9 SMEs to the first round of the Freight Innovation Fund Accelerator.
Working with innovators and industry partners through our accelerator programme allows us to develop a pipeline of technology and new ideas that promise to help tackle the freight sector’s emerging needs, ensuring that resilience, efficiency and carbon reduction are core to the sector’s future.”
This fresh funding builds on previous government efforts to drive research and development in freight – as the UK races to create cleaner, smarter, and more efficient freight transport for tomorrow.
