Nineteen small and medium enterprises from the West Midlands have been chosen to participate in a new programme designed to address environmental challenges in the rail and automotive sectors. The Clean Futures accelerator, managed by Connected Places Catapult, aims to foster innovation through financial backing and expert support.
The selected companies, which include Aeroforge, Alucast, Composite Braiding, EnginSoft UK, Extend Robotics, GBR Rail, Geospatial Ventures, Grinsty, Integrated Systems Engineering, LiBatt Recycling, MOLE, Moasure, Moonbility, OX Delivers, Raeon, Taraz Metrology, Treeva, Unipart Powertrain Applications, and Vanguard, will each receive up to £50,000. This funding is intended to enable these firms to trial their products and services over the next six months.
The programme focuses on tackling challenges related to rail and automotive manufacturing sectors, encompassing manufacturing and assembly design, cost-effective clean transportation infrastructure, and the production, transport, and storage of alternative fuels. Alongside financial aid, the accelerator will also provide technical and commercial support, benefiting from the expertise and facilities at the Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation in Dudley and The Advanced Manufacturing Centre at Coventry University.
Moreover, participants will have networking and showcasing opportunities to connect with industry and financial partners. Since its inception last year, the accelerator has already supported 20 SMEs, with 18 of them entering discussions with new customers. A total of £2.6 million has been secured through contracts or research and development funding, with an additional £43 million in the commercial pipeline. To date, £1.3 million has been raised in private investment, with another £27 million pending.
Clean Futures is part of the broader West Midlands Innovation Accelerator, designed to enhance the region’s innovation and R&D capabilities, thereby driving commercial growth and investment. Alex Cousins, regional director at Connected Places Catapult, stated: “Clean Futures is supporting the West Midlands to be at the heart of the green industrial revolution. Through our close collaboration with the Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation and Coventry University, we are enabling green transport innovators in the West Midlands to test their ideas and build their businesses. The first-year cohort of businesses on this programme has already seen millions of pounds worth of contracts and investments secured and I’m excited to see what this year’s cohort can achieve.”
Prof Marcos Kauffman, director of the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering at Coventry University, added: “Clean Futures is helping the region move towards being net zero by 2041 and we’ve already seen huge successes with the first cohort of SMEs involved in the accelerator programme. We are excited to see what the next group of entrepreneurs can bring to the table and use Coventry University’s cutting-edge research facilities to make a difference here in the West Midlands and further afield.”
The Clean Futures accelerator programme is playing a pivotal role in advancing green transport innovations in the West Midlands. By providing financial support, technical expertise, and networking opportunities, the programme not only aims to tackle environmental challenges but also to foster economic growth and development in the region.