26.06.19
Major railway suppliers join forces to form ‘Rail Innovation Family’
The UK’s major rail suppliers have joined forces to form a ‘Rail Innovation Family’ that will help provide greater and clearer support for suppliers seeking to bring innovation into the rail industry.
The Rail Innovation Family launched at the Digital Railway Conference hosted by the University of Birmingham, and will aim to contribute directly to delivering more value from the rail supply sector through stimulating innovation.
Alex Burrows, managing director of Birmingham Centre for Rail Research & Education (BCRRE) and Rail Alliance, said: “This collaboration is the natural next step for the Rail Alliance Community as an integrated part of the Birmingham Centre for Rail Research and Education.
“It will support our focus on translating research into commercial success as well as supporting the growth of SMEs through our innovation-based, community-orientated B2B activity.”
The collaborating organisations include the Birmingham Centre for Rail Research and Education (BCRRE), the Rail Alliance (part of the BCRRE), the Rail Forum Midlands (RFM) and the Railway Industry Association (RIA).
The group will complement the work of the UK Rail Research & Innovation Network (UKRRIN), a £92 million partnership between academia and the private sector to promote innovation in rail.
Jo Binstead, chair of UKRRIN, said: “I am delighted to see this new collaboration between the key supply chain bodies which has great potential to ‘simplify the landscape’ for innovators seeking to engage with academia and industrial partners within UKRRIN.”