UK: HS2 Ltd is to work with SMEs Infinitive Group Ltd and Material Index as part of its efforts to sustainably ‘deconstruct’ worksites along the 225 km of high speed railway being built between London and the West Midlands.
The two companies will work with the project promoter to provide software tools to integrate and analyse deconstruction-related data covering around 350 worksites. This will be used to support informed decision-making about material recapture and reuse.
The partnership forms part of a research programme led by the government-backed innovation and technology organisation Digital Catapult. The Made Smarter Innovation Sustainability Accelerator seeks to improve resource and energy efficiency in UK manufacturing. Participating companies will receive support from innovation experts at Digital Catapult to co-develop products and technologies that will establish a more sustainable industrial future.
Participating start-ups and small businesses will each receive £75 000 funding to develop a proof of concept, and a further £100 000 will be available for up to four companies to progress to phase two of the programme. This will support the successful companies to develop prototypes, culminating in early 2025 in an opportunity to pitch to investors and industry leaders.
‘We are excited to collaborate with these two companies on our data integration challenges, and benefit from their innovative approaches’, said Zoë Edmonds, Senior Innovation Manager at HS2 Ltd. ‘Both companies are new to HS2, so Digital Catapult has helped us reach new potential suppliers to explore their fresh ideas. The sheer scale and complexity of analysing reusable materials in up to 350 temporary worksites requires a truly innovative approach, and if successful it could represent a significant step change to engage the construction industry in the circular economy.’
